


Love Under the Clouds

by ryleempiatt



Category: Love Island (Video Game)
Genre: Abuse, Break Up, Death, Depression, Family, Family Feels, Female Friendship, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Heartbreak, Hospitals, London, Long-Distance Friendship, Long-Distance Relationship, Love, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Marriage, Memories, Multi, Near Death Experiences, Past Abuse, Past Sexual Abuse, Post-Villa (Love Island: The Game), Scotland, Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:54:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 28
Words: 180,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26188312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ryleempiatt/pseuds/ryleempiatt
Summary: They won Love Island, but can they last on the outside? Can their relationship survive everything the universe throws at them?
Comments: 17
Kudos: 30





	1. Feeling the Pressure

Bobby stares at the pile of dishes next to the big silver sink.   
  
"Oi, Big Jonno. Innit yer turn to do dishes?"  
  
"Nope. Ye gotta earn yer keep, Bobbo."   
  
"Earn my keep? Mate, I don't even live here. I work here."   
  
"Ye been workin so much ye might as well live here. Ye need to take a break, yer only days off since ye got back ave been fer yer mum's chemo."  
  
"I worked this much before I left."  
  
"I didn't like it then either. Take some time off, go spend it with yer lass." He sighs.  
  
"I can't. I need to work."   
  
"Does she even know yer working everyday? When's the last time ye talked to her?"   
  
"I called her last night when I got home. And no she doesn't know, if she knew she'd kill me."   
  
"How's it goin with ye two anyway?"  
  
"Good. Things are still good. We talk on the phone every night and I text her on my breaks."  
  
"I thought she was moving here?" He shrugs. _**I did too. Does it take almost two months to get everything figured out to move? I mean it is a big move.**_  
  
"She is. She has an entire life in London. It's not exactly easy to just pick up and move to Scotland."   
  
"How long has it been since ye seen each other?" 

"What's the date?"

"August 16th."  
  
"Almost seven weeks."  
  
"Well, how's yer mum been?" He sighs again.  
  
"Good. The chemo seems to be keeping the cancer from spreading. They found a good combination of meds to keep her pain more manageable." It's quiet for a moment as he walks over to Bobby and takes the pan and sponge out of his hands. "Go home, Bobby. Get some rest. Ye'll be here bright and early tomorrow." He glares at Big Jonno.  
  
"I can't go home yet. The dishes-"  
  
"I'll do the dishes, now go. Don't argue with me, Bobby. I'll see ye tomorrow." He shakes his head.  
  
"Fine. I'll see ye tomorrow." He goes to the breakroom and takes off his apron and grabs his stuff. He couldn't stop himself from thinking Maizie didn't want him anymore. She still said she loved him and talked to him every chance they had. Gary and Noah have kept in touch and keep telling him she's still crazy about him. **_But something just didn't feel right anymore. Maybe it's because we can't see each other right now. Maybe its the distance getting to us. I thought by now we'd be able to at least have plans set. But she hasn't given me anything. Maybe she wants to be with me but not move here yet._** He's so lost in thought he almost runs a stop sign before the car he _would've_ hit honked, bringing him out of his mind. He sighs and leans against the steering wheel. He shakes his head and pulls into the driveway. After he takes a shower and grabs a snack, he lays down on the couch and calls Maizie.   
  
"Hey there, handsome." Hearing her voice always made him smile.  
  
"Hey. How's yer day?"  
  
"Ugh. Work. Ew. It's been stressful. Remember that big company that closed down a few weeks ago?"  
  
"Aye."  
  
"Well now all of it's unemployed former employees are getting hit hard and have started coming to us to help. It's been nothing but paperwork the past two days. I miss the Villa and lounging around the pool talking about pugs and rugs with Chelsea, reading tea leaves with Lottie, but mostly I miss seeing you." His heart leapt at her confession.  
  
"I miss ye too, lass. I'm sorry ye've been so stressed out. Hopefully, we can see each other soon." He hears a knock on the door. "Hold on, someone's at the door."  
  
"You want me to let you go?"  
  
"What? No, of course not." He can hear her smile.  
  
"Okay, good." He gets up and opens the door and his jaw drops.  
  
"What the fek?" Maizie sounds concerned. _**This is definitely going to piss Maizie off.**_  
  
"Who is it?"   
  
"Sammy, what're ye doing here?"  
  
"Sammy?? Like you're ex Sammy?"  
  
"Fer the last time, she's not my ex. We never dated."  
  
"What does she want?"  
  
"Dinnae ken, ye won't let me finish talking to her." Maizie huffs and stays silent. He looks at Sammy standing on his doorstep. She smiles at him.  
  
"Hi Bobby. I thought it was about time I came and saw ye and check on yer mum."  
  
"But...why?"  
  
"Cause I missed ye and I was worried about yer mum."  
  
"Okay, nice to see ye, uh, she's fine. Ima go to bed now, goodnight."   
  
"Bobby wait!" He argues with himself for a second. Finally he sighs and opens the door all the way, letting her in. **_I'm definitely going to regret this._** "Okay, so that's not the only reason I came back."  
  
"No shit. Who comes around at eleven o'clock to just say hi?" Maizie snorts. "What's going on, Sammy?" She sighs and turns around to face him again. Her eyes are watering, threatening tears. Before he could stop it he went into caring friend mode. He spoke softer this time. "Sam, ye alright?" She shakes her head.  
  
"I've kind of found myself without a place to sleep tonight. I didn't know where else to go so I came here. I was hoping I could stay here tonight."   
  
"Uhhhh. Dinnae ken, Sam." Maizie breaks her silence on the phone.  
  
"What does she want?"  
  
"To stay the night."  
  
"Excuse me? What's her excuse?"  
  
"That she doesn't have anywhere else to go."  
  
"I call bullshit. Bobby, no. You are not going to let her stay the night. Abso-fucking-lutely not. I forbid it. There's no way in hell she's staying there with you there. No." He holds his finger up to Sammy.   
  
"Can ye give me a minute?" He walks into his room and shuts the door. "Maizie, relax. I hadn't even given her an answer yet."  
  
"Because you're answer should be no."  
  
"So I'm supposed to just let her sleep in her car?"  
  
"I'm sure there's someone else she can go to."   
  
"I've been home two months and she hasn't contacted me once. I think if she actually wanted to get back with me she would've done something by now. She was my best friend and I can't leave her on the streets."  
  
"She's your ex fuck buddy! Are you kidding me right now? You're seriously going to let her stay there when I said no?"  
  
"Ye don't get to tell me what to do, Maizie. I'm not yer property or ye pet. I'm a man with his own opinions. So far yeah. If Maw is okay with it I'm gonna let her sleep on the couch fer one night. What has gotten into ye? Ye've never tried to tell me exactly what to do." He sighs. "Ye know what, I can't do this tonight. I need to go. I love ye, Maizie. I'll call ye tomorrow." He hangs up the phone before she can reply. He silences it in case Maizie calls back. He sighs and rubs his face before going back out to the living room. Sammy is still standing by the door when he walks up to her. "Ye gonna tell me why ye don't have a place to go to tonight?" She sniffles and sighs.  
  
"Basically, the guy I rented my flat from had this nephew. We started dating then things got ugly and he kicked me out. The owner not the nephew. I haven't talked to my parents in a really long time, we kinda went no contact. All my friends had some sort of excuse as to why I couldn't. Please Bobby?" He thinks a moment.  
  
"I'll have to ask Maw first. And it'll have to be the couch cause the spare bedroom is full of shit." She gives him a small smile.  
  
"Okay, I understand." He walks to his mums room and knocks gently. She calls him in. He looked at her laying in bed. Her hair that used to be long and curly was now shaved off. Her green eyes didn't sparkle anymore. Her cheeks were more sunken in and her lips were paler. Her skin wasn't a warm bronze anymore, it was a dull tan.  
  
"Is everything alright?" He sighs.  
  
"Sammy is here." She raises her eyebrows.  
  
"What's that now?" He tells her everything Sammy told him. "And ye believe her?" He shrugs.  
  
"I want to but dinnae ken. But the part of me that doesn't is worried she is telling the truth and she'll have to sleep in her car. And it feels wrong to put her out like that."  
  
"What would Maizie say?" He looks down. "Maizie knows doesn't she? I take it by yer face she told ye no."  
  
"It's not just that. She literally said she forbids it like I'm a child or a pet or something. I value her opinion but fer her to demand something like that rubs me the wrong way. She doesn't even try to understand why I considered this, she just got mad and yelled at me." He looks up at his mum, she sighs at him.

"Okay. We'll solve this Maizie thing tomorrow. Fer now tell Samantha she can stay fer the night and we'll revisit this tomorrow too. But ye better stay far away from her tonight. Go in yer room and lock yer door. Do not unlock it until ye have to go to work." He smiles.  
  
"I'm not a kid ye know."  
  
"Aye, but I am yer mum. Which means I can tell ye what to do." He kisses her cheek.  
  
"Alright. I love ye, goodnight."   
  
"I love ye too, son." He sets up the couch for Sam before going to his room. She clears her throat.

"So how are things goin fer ye?"

"Good. Just been working."

"I noticed, ye don't exactly look like yer doing well. And things didn't sound very good with Maizie." He stops messing with the blanket and sighs, looking at her.

"Things are good with us. It's just hard being so far away from each other when we just spent an entire month together."

"So ye still think ye love her?"

"No, I know I love her." She shrugs and takes a step towards him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I know this has to be really hard fer ye." He looks at her for a second. _**This feels like a trick.**_ She rolls her eyes. "Relax, Robbie. I'm just trying to be a good friend." He let a smile slip.

"I told ye not to call me Robbie." She returns the smile.

"I've always called ye Robbie ever since we were kids. I'm not about to change it now." She steps closer and gently pushes his arm. 

"It was different when we were kids."

"How?"

"Well fer one ye were a frizzy haired lass with dorky glasses that needed to grow into her nose." She smiles and raises her eyebrows.

"Well I hope ye think I look much better than that now. Otherwise I need to go make some changes."

"Of corse ye look better, don't change a thing. Ye look fine."

"Just fine? That doesn't sound to promising. Obviously there's things I need to change. Is it my hair? Is my nose still too big? Should I get lip fillers?" He rolls his eyes.

"Oh come on Sammy. Don't make me say it." She looks at him confused.

"Say what?" He sighs and looks away.

"I know ye know yer sexy." When he looks at her again he realizes how close they are. She smiles sweetly at him.

"I haven't heard that in a long time. It seems we have that in common." He swallows hard, glancing at her lips. His heart pounded in his chest.

"Have what in common?" She leans in just a little bit, her cinnamon scented lotion reminded him of how intoxicating it made him feel.

"It's been a long time fer both of us. I haven't been complimented like that in a long time and ye haven't been able to...release yer tension in a long time. We both know how hard it is fer ye to go this long without...relieving yer stress." He feels his cheeks get hot and he swallows hard trying not to think about their past. He clears his throat and takes a step back. 

"I'm doing just fine. I can wait until I'm with Maizie again. If it's not her it isn't good enough. One night isn't worth ruining my future with her, she means everything to me." He turns and walks back to his room, locking the door. "Why the fek does this keep happening?" He flops down on his bed and groans in the pillow. He steals a look at his phone. He had two texts from Gary and a missed call from Maizie. He sighs and calls Gary.

"Mate, what the fuck did you do now? Why is Maizie calling me all pissed off?" 

"Cause Sammy is here."

"Okay? And? You sent her away right?"

"No, she's staying the night."

"WHAT?" 

"She didn't have anywhere else to go. She got kicked out of her place."

"So she just shows up at your door at eleven o'clock at night? No wait. That's not the issue. The issue is you pied Maizie off to go talk to your ex and you're now letting her sleep at your house."

"I did not pie Maizie off. I didn't feel like arguing, I'm dealing with a lot right now and today has been really stressful. It's not like the Villa where our only problems were making sure ye were coupled up with who ye wanted to be. Out here in the real world we got shit we've got to deal with. I don't have the feking headspace fer this shit." Gary is quiet a moment. He speaks calmer this time, concern shadowing in his voice.

"Bobby, what is going on? Maizie feels like she's losing you and then this happens. What is your girlfriend supposed to think when your ex fuck buddy sleeps over at your house? I know I haven't known you outside of the Villa, but this doesn't seem like you at all. What's going on?" He sighs.

"Ye can't tell Maizie. I don't want her to worry."

"Alright."

"Maw's government assitance got messed up somehow and so now me and Oliver have to take over everything. I work everyday all day except the days Maw has to go to chemo. Oliver went from working part time to full time. Between copays fer her meds and visits and bills and food and shit I've been getting really stressed out. So arguing with Maizie about Sam, I just don't have it in me right now. But Maizie isn't losing me, she never could. I've just been busy but I don't want to tell her why cause she'll freak out. She's stressed out enough with her job I don't want her to stress about me. And this Sam thing isn't what it looks like, from my end at least. I don't fully believe her but we were best friends. And part of me thinks if she is telling the truth I can't let her sleep in her car. It's not safe fer anybody let alone a woman. I'd feel really guilty if I shut her out and something happened. Maw is gonna talk to her tomorrow while I'm at work. I'm even in my room while she's on the couch and my door is locked. She's not gonna be coming in here...Maw grounded me to my room." Gary laughs.

"I love your mum. Anyway, what about the money from Love Island?"

"I'm hoping to save it. Besides, it would only help temporarily it's not a permanent solution. And we're making it, it's just tight is all."

"You can't keep doing this to yourself. You need to talk to Maizie."

"No, out of the question. She doesn't need this on her too."

"If you love her then you need to be honest with her. Keeping secrets, no matter how good the intentions are, will never end well. It's going to make her question rather she can trust you. I know it's hard for you to let people help you. But when you told her you loved her and wanted to be with her and build a future and have kids together, you promised to share your burdens with her like she did with you. She trusted you with her problems and her pain and now you need to trust her with yours." He thinks for a moment, his emotions threatening to break loose.

"I just can't right now, Gary. I don't even know where we are in our relationship anymore. A month ago we were madly in love and now we're arguing every other day about something stupid."

"She's an emotional wreck without you, that's why. Not being there with you is taking it's toll on her."

"She could just move here."

"It's not that easy. She's been trying to arrange every last detail. And it's taking so long to get everything fixed she's worried your mum isn't going to have much time by the time she gets there. Which is now making her feel guilty. She's just as stressed out as you are and right now she just needs you there. She needs you to stand by her and let her stand by you. Look. Take the night to relax and get some sleep. Take time to clear your head and figure out what the hell is going on with Sammy and then call her tomorrow and fix this. But I think you need to tell her everything you told me. Nan wants Maizie to come over for lunch tomorrow so I'll talk to her then and try to get her to relax too. A lot of this could be fixed if you two would just talk to each other." 

"Mate, this whole relationship is giving me a headache. Why do women have to be so difficult?"

"Bruv, you're half the problem with her. You're just as stubborn if not more."

"Yeah, but lately she just has to argue about everything. Like damn can we have more than a day where we don't fight?"

"But is she worth it?" Bobby thinks back to the first time he was asked that. He thought about everything that happened that night and why he stayed loyal to her.

"She's always worth it."

"Then trust her. She's a big girl, she can handle herself. She really doesn't need me around at all you know. The other day these guys catcalled her and she told them off for it. It was hilarious. She's really come out of her shell, she's tough." Bobby chuckles at the image of Maizie yelling at a group of guys.

"That doesn't surprise me at all. She's always been tough, she just needed to remember she is."

"And you need to remember that you chose her as your equal. So treat her like it." He sighs.

"Alright, alright. I got it. I'll call her tomorrow and fix this shit. I've got to go to bed though. I work all day again tomorrow." 

"Alright. Get some sleep, mate. Hang in there and call me if you need anything."

"I will. And tell Maizie I love her."

"Why can't you?"

"It's Friday night and neither of ye work tomorrow. I just pissed her off and she's going to need wine and ice cream. I bet ye she's on her way there right now." Gary laughs.

"I got a text she was twenty minutes away." Bobby smiled and shook his head.

"See, I knew it. When we fight she turns to ye...and wine...and ice cream. I should probably stop or I'll make her an alcoholic."

"That's so fucked up but kind of funny at the same time. Maybe I should get nonalcoholic wine. Do they make that?"

"Gary. I don't have the energy fer this conversation, mate. We can talk about this tomorrow."

"Alright. I got it. Talk to you later, mate. Bye." He hangs up and plugs his phone in before laying down and crashes out from exhaustion. It feels like he's been asleep five minutes when his alarm goes off. He groans and looks at his phone. Before he gets out of bed he texts Maizie.

" _I'm sorry about last night. I'll call you tonight. I love you. Have a good day."_ On his first break he checks his phone and sees a text from Oliver.

_"Are you working again today?"_

_"You already know I am or I would be at home."_

_"You need to take a break. I know shit sucks right now but you're starting to get in over your head again."_

_"Why does everyone keep saying that? I'm fine. Is Sam still there?"_

_"Aye. Maw is talking to her now."_

_"Is it bad I hope she leaves today?"_

_"Nope. How's Maizie?"_

_"I haven't talked to her yet today. She didn't reply to my text this morning."_

_"If I have to call her and play referee again I'm gonna be pissed."_

_"Oh, come off it Olly. Things haven't been that bad."_

_"Bobby, you two can't stop fighting. I know you love her but if you don't tell her what's going on I will. And then she's gonna be even more mad because I had to tell her."_ He thinks about Oliver's words for a minute.

 _"What am I supposed to do Olly? I can't just get up and go see her. I have to work or the bills don't get paid. There's literally nothing I can do."_ Oliver doesn't reply before his break is over. As he walks inside he sees Big Jonno quickly getting off the phone.

"Who was that?"

"None of yer business. Go help Joe with the lunch plates." He rolls his eyes and gets back to work. He didn't hear from Oliver or Maizie the rest of the day. Big Jonno came up to him when they were getting the dinner plates ready. "Bobby we need to talk." He looked at him nervously and follows him to the office. "Sit down." He bites his thumbnail, hesitating but reluctantly sits down. "I think ye've been working too much, Bobby. I appreciate a hard and dedicated worker but yer taking it too far."

"Don't cut my hours. Ye know I can't do that right now."

"I'm not cutting yer hours, relax. But I am going to give ye two weeks off."

"What? That's not any better! I can't have my hours cut. I've got to pay the light bill and buy groceries and Maw needs her meds refilled and-"

"Bobby! Will ye shut up and listen?" Bobby sighs and looks at him. "I've talked to Phil. He's agreed that ye deserve the time off. He's managed to arrange ye to get paid fer yer vacation. And on top of it, cause of yer situation, he's managed to get ye a small bonus." Bobby looked at him confused.

"What?"

"Yer gonna get paid time off and a bonus. Yer dismissed fer the rest of the day. Go home." Bobby stares at him a moment, trying to process everything. "Bobby, I may technically be yer boss. But I think of ye as a mate and as a mate ye look like shit. Ye barely sleep and barely eat, yer here everyday all day. Ye need to take some time and get yer head right. I commend ye fer stepping up and doing what needs to be done, but yer not balancing anything. This only works if ye can balance it out. Yer overworked and over tired. So go home and take yer two weeks vacation. I'll see ye when ye get back. Yer two weeks starts tomorrow." Bobby slowly gets up and walks out confused. It doesn't hit him until he's halfway home what just happened.

"I'm getting two weeks off? What the hell just happened?" He walks into the house and sees Oliver and their mum sitting at the table. "I just got two weeks off from work and they sent me home early." He looks at Oliver. "Ye wouldn't happen to know why, would ye?" Oliver shrugs.

"Ye wouldn't stop until I did something. Ye were gonna work yerself to death. Someone had to do something." Before he could say anything their mum spoke up.

"Bobby, do not get mad at him. We both agreed ye needed time off. I know yer heart is in the right place but if ye keep going at this rate ye'll be dead before I am." Bobby sighs. 

"If I don't work we won't make it."

"If ye work too hard we'll be fine cause we'll only have two to feed instead of three. Bobby, yer in over yer head. Take yer vacation, relax, clear yer head and fix this."

"Fix what?" Oliver stands up and goes to his room and comes back a minute later holding a piece of paper and hands it to Bobby. "A plane ticket?" Oliver shrugs.

"Ye've got a flight in two hours to go to London. Gary is picking ye up at the airport. Maizie is out shopping with Hope so she doesn't know either. Yer flight home is yer last day of vacation. I packed yer bag...again. Louis and Dean are gonna help us out while yer gone and in fact Louis will be here soon to pick ye up." He stares at them.

"Ye both planned all this?" Maw shakes her head.

"Olly planned this. He came to me and told me everything he wanted to do and I told him it was a great idea. We both started making calls."

"Wait, how did ye afford this?"

"I got a bonus at my job a couple days ago. I was trying to figure out what to put it towards and the last couple days I've seen how hard ye've been working. Plus ye look like shit and ye need to get laid." Bobby blushes and rubs the back of his neck.

"I really don't wanna talk about that in front of Maw." She shakes her head.

"Bobby, I saw ye and Maizie on the show. There isn't much I don't know bout yer sex life." His cheeks turn redder. 

"I'm gonna go take a shower and pretend I didn't hear that." As he finishes getting dressed when Louis calls through the house. 

"Bobby! Yer chariot awaits! So hurry yer ass up before Dean gets pissy I'm not home." He chuckles to himself and walks out and sees him standing in the dining room.

"Tell Dean it's all Olly's fault." He waves a hand dismissively.

"He'll be fine. Grab yer bag and let's go, babes." Louis hugs his mum and kisses her cheek.

"I'll see ye soon, Sheila."

"Alright, honey. But fer the thousandth time call me Maw. Ye and Dean are my adopted sons by now." He smiles at her.

"Alright, alright. I'll see ye later, Maw." Bobby gives Oliver and Maw a big hug and kisses her on the cheek. 

"I'll call ye later. I love ye both." He looks at Olly and scratches the back of his head. "I, uh, I really appreciate this. Thanks fer doing this fer me. I owe ye." He rolls his eyes.

"That's what brothers do ye big dope." Bobby smiles and takes off with Louis. A few hours later he sees Gary standing by baggage claim.

"Oi! Gaz!" He beams at the sight of him and runs up and hugs him. Gary laughs.

"I missed you too, toe boy." They start walking towards the exit.

"So how did Oliver get a hold of ye?"

"Ainsley. He got my number from Ainsley who got it at the after party." They walk out to Gary's truck. 

"So ye all planned all this?" Gary shrugs.

"Oliver planned most of it. I just helped. Mainly with Maizie's side of it. I told Hope to make plans so we could surprise her. It's a good thing they hang out all the time because Maizie didn't suspect a thing when Hope invited her to go shopping with her and Chelsea."

"Oh, Chelsea knows?" 

"Uh no. Chelsea would've let it slip. She doesn't know either. I texted Hope when we were on our way to the truck and the girls should be at Maizie's flat when we get there. I'll tell Hope we're outside, she's gonna ask Maizie to do something and sneak us in. Maizie is going to walk into the room and boom." Bobby smiled at him.

"Yer good, Gaz. Yer slick. Ye really got this all planned out?" 

"As long as Hope can keep both Maizie and Chelsea clueless, we'll be fine. Which it's Hope. She can definitely keep Maizie clueless and keeping Chelsea clueless really isn't that hard. As long as there is shopping and gin we're good."

"I can't believe Olly did all this. I can't believe ye did all this. Just fer us."

"Oliver is a good kid. You did good with him, Bobby. And as for me, I just want my two best friends to be happy. And don't tell Maizie but this was mainly for you because we care about you. You were getting in over your head and it's important that you learn the warning signs and step back. Oliver can't force you to step away every time. And plus you looked like shit every time we facetimed."

"Everyone keeps saying that."

"Well stop looking like shit then." He laughs and nudges Gary gently. "Oi. I'm driving, mate. You trying to kill us?"

"Maizie might when she finds out what ye all did." He shrugs.

"She'll forgive us pretty quickly." They finally pull up to a cute little house in a decent little neighborhood. It was red brick with white shutters. On the porch sat two rocking chairs and a colorful flower bed covered in flowers of all kinds displayed in front of it. "She rents the place, so don't damage it with whatever sex things you do." Bobby rolls his eyes.

"We're not that bad." Gary looks at him unamused.

"Bruv, not once did you two get away with anything in the Villa." He blushes and clears his throat.

"Moving on." Gary shakes his head and looks at his phone.

"Let's go." They walk up to the door and wait a second before Hope answers it. She hugs him quickly and whispers quietly.

"She went with Chelsea to make drinks in the kitchen so hurry up and get in here." They walk in and he looks around. Hope puts a finger to her lips to motion for him to be quiet. "Hey Maizie!" He hears her call out from the kitchen.

"Yeah?"

"Can you come here for a minute?"

"What for?"

"I want to show you a picture I just found of what Noah looks like with makeup on. His sister convinced him to let her put it on him." Bobby raises his eyebrows at her. She motions for him to be quiet. 

"Oh, Chelsea, we've got to see this." They hear giggling getting closer. A second later Maizie turns the corner and looks up and sees Bobby. He holds out his hands to his side.

"Surprise."

"Oh my god!" She hands the glasses to Chelsea and runs up and jumps on him, wrapping her legs around him. He squeezes her back tightly. He hears sniffles as she buries her face in his shoulder.

"Are ye crying, lass?" She nods her head without looking up. He felt his own tears threatening to break through. He clears his throat trying to get his emotions under control, but one tear managed to escape. Chelsea let's out a soft sniffle and wipes her eyes.

"You two are just so cute." Bobby smiles and hugs Maizie tighter.

"I take it ye missed me?" She unwraps her legs as he sets her down. She looks into his eyes, tears dripping down her face. She smiles and nods at him.

"More than I even realized I guess. What are you doing here? How? Why? When?" She turns to Hope and Gary who stand there smiling at her. "You two knew about this?!" Gary shrugs.

"We figured it'd be a nice surprise. But thank Oliver. He's the one who called me and set this whole thing up. Well I set up this part but he set up the flight and getting Bobby off of work." Hope squeals.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't hold that squeal anymore. Anyway, we knew how much you two missed each other." Chelsea squeals and runs up and hugs Bobby.

"Sorry, Maizie. I'll back off in a minute." Maizie laughs and steps away, letting Chelsea have her moment. Bobby hugs Chelsea tightly. Hope shrugs.

"I mean if Chelsea gets to." She runs up and hugs Bobby too. Maizie smiles and giggles, wiping her nose. Gary comes over and hugs her.

"You guys. This was so sweet of you. And Olly. I'm gonna have to remember to hug him." Bobby couldn't stop smiling at the entire moment. _**Everything feels right again. How did she become such a big part of me?**_ Finally, the girls back away and Maizie hugs him again. She pulls his face to hers and kisses him passionately and deeply. _**Damn, I forgot how good of a kisser she is.**_ Someone coughs causing them to pull apart, laughing. She looks at his face and puts a hand on his cheek. She gets a concerned look on her face. "You look exhausted. Not just tired but exhausted. Are you doing alright? Is everything okay? Is your mum okay?" He sighs and kisses her forehead.

"I'm okay now." She frowns.

"You're not telling me something." Gary clears his throat.

"Well, we are going to give you two some privacy. You have until tomorrow night when Nan has invited everyone over for dinner. I told her you were going because well she doesn't take no as an answer. So I will see you two tomorrow night." He hugs Bobby and Maizie before walking out the door. Hope and Chelsea hug them both quickly before leaving. Chelsea looks back and winks at them.

"You two have fun. Make sure you use protection." Maizie hugs him again and he stands there holding onto her. _**This feels like a dream. I can't believe I'm holding her again.**_ She pulls away and looks at him.

"Okay. So I'm going to get us some drinks and something to snack on and then you are going to tell me everything that's going on. So take your bag to the room, it's down the hall second door on the left. The loo is the only door on the right in the hallway. She kisses him softly. 

"Okay. I'll be right back." 

"Feel free to get comfortable." She runs off to the kitchen as he follows her directions. A few minutes later he comes back into the living room and sits down on her couch. He looks around while he waits for her. _**She doesn't really have much furniture. Or pictures fer that matter. I pictured it more...girly. It's so plain.**_ "I like the sight of this. A sexy man sitting on my couch, waiting for me." She sets the glasses of wine down and plops down next to him, beaming at him.

"Can I ask why ye don't have any pictures up or decorations or anything?" She blushes and looks down a minute.

"I guess it's old habit. I used to have my flat all decked out and then Alex started breaking everything so I got rid of everything. And I stopped decorating our flat so he had nothing to throw at me or break my stuff." He kisses her.

"I'm sorry I asked."

"It's okay. You aren't the first to ask."

"I should've figured it out though."

"Don't worry about it, babe. It's fine. Really. Okay. Now spill." She picks up their glasses and hands him his. He sighs.

"I've just been under a lot of stress lately." 

"Like?" He shrugs.

"Dinnae ken. A lot of stuff really."

"Robert McKenzie. Don't pull your cute little scot stuff to get out of this. Tell me now or I'll call Oliver and ask him." He looks at her and smiles.

"Alright alright. Maw's government assistance got messed up somehow so Olly had to go from part time to full time and I've been working everyday so we could get everything paid. I mean I was working everyday before but we lived pretty comfortably but now without Maw's income it's been tight. It's been hard." Her eyes soften as she looks into his.

"Why didn't you tell me any of this?"

"I didn't want to stress ye out. Ye've been dealing with yer own stress and I didn't want ye to worry about me." She takes his hand.

"I literally agreed to all of that. Babe, when we became a couple and I said I love you I meant I love you through the easy times and the hard times. And we're equal partners in this so that means I come to you for comfort and you come to me for comfort. You can't hide this from me anymore. And you don't have to do this on your own anymore. I'm here to stand by you and support you like you do me. I know it's hard for you to not make everyone happy, but you can't help everyone. Especially, when you aren't even helping yourself. I can see why you wouldn't facetime with me the past couple weeks." He kisses her hand.

"I'm sorry. Fer everything. Fer not telling ye and fer what I said last night and Sam. Which she's gone by the way. At least I think she is, she wasn't there when I got home. Maw said she would deal with it, don't know what that means but I'm not getting in it." She sighs.

"So why did you let her stay? I mean she kept kissing you behind my back and trying to get you to dump me. She lied to you and that's just stuff from the Villa. What about everything else she did before us?" 

"Babe, it's not that I didn't think about that stuff. But we did used to be best friends before everything changed between us. Either way though, I can't tell ye if she was being honest about no place or not. But part of me that didn't believe her thought well what if it's true, then she'd have to sleep in her car and no one should have to do that, especially a woman. It was mostly so she was safe more than anything. Also Maw pretty much grounded me to my room while she was there, which was really weird considering I'm twenty-four." She giggles.

"Remind me to thank your mum too. I'm sorry for flipping out and trying to tell you what to do. I didn't think about you just wanting her to be safe part. I only thought about her being all snakey and trying to sleep with you part. I mean I didn't think you would but she'd probably try."

"I mean I know I'm sexy and all. But yer the only one I want." She smiles and kisses him again. "I missed ye so much. I was worried fer a while there ye were getting tired of me."

"Never." She takes a sip and sets it down. "Okay, so what else has been going on? Is your mum okay?"

"Yeah, she's good. Still pretty much the same. We're hoping it stays that way for a while. How's everyone been here?" 

"I see Gary, Hope and Noah quite a bit. Lottie is planning to come soon for a visit. Chelsea comes every couple weeks. I've only seen Rahim and Jo like twice since the Villa but we text a lot. I haven't talked to Marisol a whole lot. Just a little bit every now and then. Um, I haven't really talked to any of the others. But they've all been wondering about you Mr MIA." He smiles.

"I talk to Noah and Gary a lot. Otherwise, with my work schedule it's hard to talk to anyone else." She just looks at him for a minute. "What?" 

"Nothing. Just looking at you. It almost feels like a dream that you're here." He smiles and kisses her. 

"I was thinking that a bit ago." She leans in and kisses him, letting it grow gradually more passionate. She straddles him and runs her hands into his hair. They're interrupted by Bobby's phone. "That'll be Maw and Olly. I fergot to tell them when I got here." She smiles.

"And they won't stop calling until you answer." She gets off his lap and sits next to him. He answers their facetime call. They see Olly appear on the screen.

"Oi! Ye made it!" Bobby smiles.

"Aye, I did. So stop freaking out." He hears Maw holler off the screen.

"Oi! Bighead! Let me see the damn phone." Maizie looks at him shocked and smiles. He shrugs.

"That's Maw." Oliver hands the phone over to Maw.

"Alright alright. Here ye go, damn." Maizie tries to hide her laugh. They see Maw a minute later. 

"I didn't call to see yer face. Where's Maizie?" Maizie giggles and scoots closer to Bobby.

"Hi there Mrs McKenzie." Maw smiles at her and talks to her so sweetly.

"Hey there, honey. It's so nice to meet ye. And don't call me Mrs McKenzie. I prefer Maw but if ye insist on something else call me Sheila." Maizie smiles.

"Alright. Well it's nice to meet you too. I've heard an awful lot about you."

"I feel like I already know ye cause of how much Bobby talks bout ye." Bobby blushes.

"Maw!"

"What?" Oliver talks off screen.

"Hey, how come I'm bighead and Bobby gets Bobby? I knew he was yer favorite!" Sheila looks at Olly off the screen, using her normal voice with him.

"Cause ye got a bighead that's why." Maizie laughs. She looks back at Maizie and uses her sweet voice again. "So did ye and dummy over there get things figured out?" Oliver laughs.

"At least I'm not dummy." Sheila looks at him. 

"Shut up, I'm trying to hear her." Maizie smiles.

"Yes, we did. He wasn't telling me about everything going on. So I didn't know how stressed out he's been otherwise I would've made himbslow down sooner." Sheila uses her stern voice.

"Robert McKenzie! What the hell are ye doin? Ye trying to screw this up? I told ye before honest communication is how ye make a relationship last." Bobby blushes and looks away.

"Right. Well, uh..." Oliver laughs off screen.

"Yer in trouble now bro." Sheila looks at Oliver.

"Shut up, bighead." Maizie laughs again. Sheila looks back to Maizie. "Ye'll have to excuse my crazy ass sons, honey. They apparently don't remember my words of wisdom these days. Anyway, I just wanted to tell ye I talked to Sam."

"Oh?"

"Mhmm. I I don't think she'll be a problem anymore and if she is just tell me and I'll deal with her. I'm not about to let her fek up the best thing that's ever happened to Bobby. Yer so sweet together. Look at em Olly, aren't they cute together?" Bobby covers his eyes.

"Maw! Stop!"

"What? Yer cute together! Aren't they Olly?" Olly comes back onto the screen.

"I think my camera is broken. I see Maizie and she looks great but then there's this big ugly spot on the other side. Man what is that? Is it a bug?" Bobby laughs.

"Ye sure the camera isn't turned?"

"Man, I'm sexy. How ye got Maizie to like ye is beyond me. She is way out of yer league." Sheila swats Olly.

"Shut yer ass up." Maizie and Bobby laugh. Maizie looks at Bobby.

"I love your family." Sheila looks at them and smiles.

"Maybe one day we'll be yer family too." Bobby groans.

"Maw! Why ye gotta do that?"

"Do what?" Oliver looks at her unamused.

"Mhmm. Ye know what yer doing woman. They aren't getting married yet. Yer gonna scare her off making her think of a lifelong commitment to this numpty. And then ye on top of it, she'll be running fer the hills." 

"Olly! Maw is gonna kill ye." Sheila glares at Oliver.

"I'll wait till we get off the phone but, uh, yeah. I'm gonna kill him." Oliver's smile fades.

"I didn't mean the part about ye, I'm sorry. I love ye." Maizie tried to fight back another laugh. Bobby rolls his eyes.

"Well, ye see I'm alright and I made it okay. I'll call ye tomorrow okay?" Sheila smiles at them.

"Alright, son. I'll talk to ye tomorrow. I love ye both." Maizie smiles and blushes. Olly smiles as he turns back to face them.

"We'll talk to ye tomorrow. Love ye." Bobby smiles.

"We love ye too. Bye." He hangs up and looks at her. "Sorry about that. They're a little...unusual? I didn't mean to put ye on the spot but she wasn't gonna let us go unless we said it back." She smiles.

"It's sweet. I really like them." He smiles.

"Eh, they're alright." She laughs and nudges him.

"Well I'm hungry. What do you want for dinner?" He bites his lip and looks at her lips. She laughs and gently pushes him. "Food first, sex later. You know how I am with food." 

"Fine. Whatever yer feeling is good with me." 

"Right answer." She pulls him off the couch with her and leads him to the kitchen. He smiles as he looks at her look through the fridge. _**I don't think I've ever felt this happy. I can't believe I'm actually here with her. I definitely owe Olly fer this one.**_


	2. Seeing the Sun

After dinner they lay on the couch and watch TV. Bobby wraps his arms around her waist and rest his head against her chest. Before he knew it, he fell asleep. He feels like it's only been a few minutes when he opens his eyes again, but when he looks at the time it's three in the morning. After seeing Maizie fast asleep he gently gets up and carries her to bed before going back to sleep. He gets woken up by Maizie kissing his neck and nibbling his ear. He opens his eyes and sees her smiling at him. **_I really get to wake up to the most amazing woman in the world next to me._** He sits up and kisses her, a hand tangled in her hair. He moves his kisses to her neck, sending goosebumps across her skin. He moves the strap to her nightgown off her shoulder and trails his kisses to her shoulder. 

"Why don't we take this to the shower, babe?" He looks up at her.

"Ye know me so well." She giggles and looks into his eyes. She slowly leans in and stops centimeters away from his lips.

"I'll race you." She jumps off the bed.

"That's not fair! Ye got a head start, cheater!" He catches up with her in the hallway. He turns her around and pins her against the wall and looks into her eyes. She blushes and bites her lip.

"I forgot how fast you are." He smiles.

"Did ye ferget anything else I need to remind ye of?" She gives him a playful grin.

"I forgot how you shower." He picks her up and carries her to the shower. As the water heats up she kisses him and they start undressing each other slowly. She pulls away and steps into the shower, pulling him in after her. He holds her against the wall and kisses her. He holds one of her legs up as his other hand moves down her body, stopping in between her legs. She digs her nails into his back as sticks his fingers inside of her. He goes slowly, stopping every time she gets close. She smiles at him. "You tease." 

"I've gotta to keep ye on yer toes somehow." He smiles and starts moving his hand again, making her moan. "Besides, it's not teasing if I go through with it." He moves his hand faster, her moans getting louder. She rests her head in the crook of his neck, her grip tightening on his shoulder. 

"Fuck, Bobby." She finally reaches pleasure. He slowly takes his hand away and lets her catch her breath. She looks into his eyes and bites her lip as she reaches between them and strokes him. She smiles and turns around pushing herself against him. He slips on a condom and moves her hair aside, kissing her neck. He grips her hips as he enters her, making her gasp. He whispers in her ear softly.

"How does that sound turn me on so much?" He holds up one of her legs and moves deeper in her, making her moan. She looks over her shoulder at him as he moves faster. **_She looks so damn sexy when she looks at me like that._** Losing control of himself he let his lust for her take over. Every time she said his name it gave him a new burst of desire. Their eyes met as she climaxed, making it almost impossible for him to hold off. He looks down and sees her tattoo on the leg he's holding. "Fek, lass." She bends over a little more and pushes into him more.

"Fuck yes." It didn't take him long after that to finally come. After a minute she turns around and looks into his eyes. He leans down and kisses her softly.

"I love ye, Maizie."

"I love you too, Bobby." After their shower they're watching TV in their pajamas again. He keeps trying to throw grapes in Maizie's mouth but keeps missing. "Babe, you're aim is terrible!"

"Like ye can do any better."

"I bet I can." She takes aim as he opens his mouth and tosses it, the grape landing in his mouth. She stands up and shouts. "Yes! I told you I could! Who's got better aim? That's right, me." He smiles and throws a grape at her. She fake gasps. "How dare you!" She throws one back at him, starting a grape tossing fight. Bobby laughs.

"Alright, alright! Truce!" She smiles and walks over to him.

"I think it's best if we do...I don't think you can handle losing to me." He smiles and pulls her into his arms, looking into her eyes.

"I lost a long time ago. In a good way." She blushes.

"You just don't what to admit I'm the best grape thrower." He laughs and bites his lip.

"Yer the best at a lot of things."

"So do you think you still love me after being here?" He takes her hand, intertwining their fingers together.

"I'll always love ye. Yer the only one I want fer the rest of my life." He saw the affection grow in her eyes. She leans down and kisses him, the world melted away. She pulls away and looks into his eyes again.

"I love you more than I ever thought possible. Thank you for loving me, even when I make it difficult." He chuckles.

"I don't want ye to thank me. I loved ye the minute I saw ye, it just took me some time to realize it was love I felt." She rests a hand on his cheek and kisses him again, guiding him to the bedroom. She sits him down and straddles him, her arms wrapped around his neck. He lets her take the lead, going slowly, savoring every moment together. She removes their clothes piece by piece before kissing him again, guiding him on top of her. She wraps her legs around his waist, looking into his eyes, blushing.

"Make love to me." He looks at her for a moment. "I'm yours and you're mine." He smiles.

"I'm yers and yer mine. Ye and me against the world, lass." He looks into her eyes and slowly enters her, making them both moan. He takes his time, kissing her, trying to enjoy the moment as long as he could. He speeds up a little, making her moan against their kiss.

"Fuck, Bobby. That feels good." A moan escapes him. His hands hold onto the sheets next to her. She digs her nails into his back.

"Keep doing that and I won't last much longer." He pins one of her legs back by her thigh, thrusting deeper into her. She gasps, arching her back with pleasure.

"Keep doing that and neither will I." Their souls fuse together, becoming one. For a while it seemed they were the only two people to exist. She sits up and straddles him, kissing him passionately as she moves. She kissed his neck, marking him as she dug her nails into his back. His grip on her hips tightened. 

"Fek, Maizie. Yer gonna make me come." She bites him gently, digging her nails into him at the same time. She starts at his shoulder moving her kisses up his neck, along his jaw finally making it to his lips. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, running his hands up her body. He holds her hips pushing her against him harder. She got louder the closer she got, finally reaching an orgasm. She clings to him as he turns them over and gets on top of her. He let go and let their passion for each other take over. She wraps her legs around his waist tightly, her tattoo catching his attention. She digs her nails into him crying out his name. "Fek, lass. Are ye still on-" She kisses him.

"Yes, I am." She digs her nails into him one last time as he thrust in her finally coming. 

"Fek, Maizie." He collapses next to her on her bed, both of them panting. After a moment he breaks the silence. "Did we just-"

"Yup." He looks at her.

"Are ye okay?" She smiles.

"That was really hot." He smiles and kisses her softly. Slowly their kiss intensifies as she reaches down and strokes him. "Please tell me you're ready for round two. I want to feel you inside of me again." He smiles and gets on her, pinning her arms above her head. "Wait!" He pulls back quickly.

"What? What's wrong?" She laughs and rolls her eyes.

"Relax. I want to show you something." She reaches in the bedside table next to her and pulls out a pair of handcuffs. She sits up and kisses him. "Remember during the baking challenge." He bites his lip.

"How can I not? It got pretty heated." She blushes. 

"I want you to put these on me and do whatever you want to me." His jaw drops.

"Whatever I want or like whatever ye want me to do?" She smiles at him.

"I mean whatever you want. Even if we haven't done it, you can do it. If I don't like it I'll tell you stop." He clears his throat.

"So this is full on consent? I don't wanna do something that makes ye uncomfortable. Or make ye feel like taken advantage of or anything."

"Yes. I am giving you my full consent. On the condition if I say stop you stop." He looks at her slightly offended.

"Well duh. I could never do something ye don't want me to. Have ye met me?" She kisses him as she puts them in his hand.

"Then let's do this." He stares at her a moment.

"I swear on my life yer the lass of my dreams and I'm gonna marry ye." She blushes and kisses him. He takes over and loops them around the bar to the headboard before putting them on her hands. He starts kissing her, moving to her neck down to her collar bone. He lightly licks across her collar bone before moving down to her breasts. He tease her nipples, making her moan. He moves his hand down between her legs and rubs her softly, stopping every time she got too close. He put his fingers inside of her and rubs her as he moves in and out of her, stopping every time she got too close. Finally, he moves between her legs and puts his mouth on her. He switches between speeds and pressure, drawing it out.

"Bobby, make me come." He sits up and gets on top of her.

"I want ye to come with me inside ye." She bites her lip and looks at him lustfully. He kisses her, grinding against her. 

"Bobby, fuck me. Now." He kisses her and stops grinding against her and puts himself inside of her. She moans with pleasure. "Fuck yes." He pins her legs back by her thighs as her starts moving. He rubs her with every thrusts, her moans getting louder. She quickly climaxes. His grip on her thigh tightens as he felt the pressure building up. He leans down and kisses her as he undoes the cuffs and pulls her up, turning her over. He puts them back on her with her hands behind her back and grabs her hips thrusting into her. The pressure began building up again. Every time she moaned he got closer and closer. "Fuck I'm gonna come again." His grip tightened on her hips he thrusted harder, making her moan louder.

"Fek, lass." She came again, pushing him over the edge. He trusted hard in her one more time, releasing the pressure in her. He uncuffed her and laid down the bed. She collapses next him. He looks at her. "So...how was that?" She smiles.

"Hot. Very hot." She cuddles into him and wraps her arms around him. They lay there quietly just holding each other. He looked into her eyes and smiled, tucking a curl behind her ear. 

"I love ye."

"I love you too, babe." He kisses her gingerly. "Do you really want to marry me?"

"Aye. I want to spend the rest of my life by yer side. I never thought I'd fall in love but then ye walked out of the Villa and I fell fer ye hard. Being scared seemed like a poor excuse to not seeing if we could have something special." She smiled at him. The sun shining through the window illuminated her eyes, making them sparkle like her lip ring did. Some of her freckles were hidden by the shadows from the blinds, her lips were a little swollen from all the snogging. _**I swear I don't deserve her. She's so damn bonnie.**_

"How did I find someone like you? I've never met anyone like you or ever felt a fraction of what I feel for you. I'll love you forever I swear." He puts a hand on her cheek, gently tracing one of her dimples. He leans in and kisses her softly. They got so lost in their kiss that it felt like hours had passed when they pulled apart. Maizie's phone starts ringing startling her. She answered it and put it on speaker.

"Lozza! What's up, babes?"

"Ugh, I missed your voice. What are you doing?"

"Hanging out with my mans."

"Your mans? You better be talking about Bobby and not that guy you met at the pub." Bobby looks up at Maizie abruptly.

"The who at the what? When the hell was this?" Lottie sighs over the phone.

"Goddamn me and my mouth." Maize groans.

"You're telling me." She looks at Bobby. "It was nothing, he came and started talking to me while I was waiting for Gary."

"So ye didn't tell me about him because...?"

"I didn't think it was important. Nothing happened. We started talking about charity work and just chatted a while." Lottie speaks up on the phone.

"I thought you exchanged numbers?"

"Lottie!"

"Shit." He sits up.

"Ye exchanged numbers with a guy hitting on ye in a pub??? What the fek, Maizie? If I did that ye'd flip shit. Ye lost it when Sam showed up at my door."

"Oh, you mean the one who slept on your couch?"

"On my mum's couch while I was in my room with the door locked. And Olly and Maw can both vouch fer that. I didn't get her number knowing she's tried to break us up."

"He hasn't even tried to break us up."

"So ye talk about us a lot then?"

"Sort of."

"What do ye mean sort of?" She shrugs. 

"Sometimes he'll ask about my day, I say good or bad depending on if we fought that day. If I say bad he makes me feel better." He gets off the bed and puts on his boxers and grabbing his tan shorts and his green t-shirt with lucky charms logo on it.

"Wait, yer telling some guy none of us knows about our problems?"

"I tell Gary!"

"I know Gary! Our friends know Gary! And he's yer best friend. He's never tried to sleep with ye! And he's dating Lottie!" He grabs his phone and walks out of the room. Maizie gets up and puts on her robe.

"Wait, Bobby!" He doesn't look back as he walks out the door. He calls Noah.

"Hey, mate! I was just about to call you and see if you and Maizie wanted to grab something to eat or go do something."

"I'd love to see ye but Maizie and I just kinda had a fight." His voice immediately sounds concerned.

"What happened? Where are you?" Bobby looks around.

"I just walked out of her place and am walking down the street."

"I'll be there in five." Noah quickly hangs up the phone. Bobby rubs his face. _**What the fek, mate. Am I overreacting? This is actually feked up right? She would be this pissed if not more if I did that. What the actual fek.**_ Noah pulls up a couple minutes later.

"How did ye get here so fast?" 

"My brother lives close. Anyway, what the hell happened?"

"Lottie let it slip that she exchanged numbers with this guy who hit on her at a pub." Noah looks at him confused.

"Wait, what?? I'm going to need the whole story."

"We're laying in bed right. Lottie calls and she puts it on speaker. When Lottie asked what she was doing she said hanging out with my man. That's when Lottie said 'I hope yer talking about Bobby and not that guy ye met at the pub'. And then when I asked her about it she said she met him when she was waiting fer Gary. They were talking about her job and exchanged numbers. She even talks to him about our problems and I guess he texts her often cause of the way she talked about it."

"So then what happened?"

"I got dressed and walked out and called ye. I didn't know what else to do. If it was switched she would be furious at me, yet I shouldn't be mad? Am I overreacting?" Noah sighs.

"I want to say yes but I'm going to go with no. Even if nothing has happened between them she knew he was attracted to her and wanted to at the very least sleep with her. She exchanged numbers with him knowing that and still talks to him often. On top of that she talks to him about you two fighting, which in a single man's mind means something can happen there. At least it did for me." 

"I don't even know what to do. Do ye think Hope or Gary knows any of this?" He shrugs.

"Hope never said anything to me, but her and Maizie are best mates so if she says it's a secret she wouldn't tell me. Hope's at my place, we can go ask her." Bobby sighs.

"Dinnae ken." Noah shrugs.

"To my place it is then." A little bit later they pull up in front of Noah's flat. He pulls out his phone. "Give me a second." After a minute he gets out of the car. "Let's go." They walk in and Hope is in the kitchen making tea.

"I'm making a brew of us. But I can leave you two alone if you need me to." Noah looks at her confused.

"What? Oh, Maizie called you didn't she?" Hope shrugs.

"She might have." She hands them each a cup and picks up hers. Noah and Bobby look at her. "What?" Noah shakes his head.

"I imagine she said what happened."

"Yeah, and?"

"And did you know she exchanged numbers with this guy?" She sighs.

"Honestly, no. She told me she met some guy but didn't tell me they exchanged numbers. I mean is it really so bad that she exchanged numbers though?" Bobby frowns at her.

"Yer telling me if some girl came up to Noah, someone none of us new or even seen, flirted with him and they exchanged numbers ye'd be okay with it? Ye'd be fine with them talking about yer problems?" Hope sits there a minute.

"Good point." Bobby throws up his hands in defeat. "Did you look at the text to see how flirty it was?"

"No, she was on the phone with Lottie. And I have a feeling if I took her phone to read the texts she'd get pretty mad and it was cause a bigger fight." Noah shrugs.

"That's true." Bobby's phone goes off. He picks it up and rolls his eyes. "Who's that?"

"Maizie."

"Shouldn't you answer then?" He shakes his head.

"Give it a minute." A minute later Gary calls him. He shrugs. "We fight she calls Gary and he calls me." He answers the phone and puts it on speaker. "Yeah?" Gary sounded offended.

"What do you mean 'yeah'? Is that how you answer the phone to your friends?"

"Actually it is. Ask Louis."

"At least change your tone or something. I mean way to kill my mood. I was expecting a happy hello or something. Maybe a 'my gorilla man' you know." Bobby chuckles.

"Ye can start any time now. I know she called ye." Gary sighs.

"Well, I might've called a bit about that too. So...what happened?"

"What was her version?"

"That you got mad that she was talking to a guy who she just became friends with."

"Mmm. Interesting." Noah looks at Hope.

"That's not what it sounds like to me." 

"Oi, is that Noah? Where are you?"

"I'm with Noah and Hope at their place." Hope chokes on her tea.

"His place." Bobby shakes his head.

"Do ye have clothes here? Do ye stay here at least a couple times a week?" She blushes and shrugs.

"Maybe."

"Then it's both of yer place." Noah and Hope look at each other raising their eyebrows. Noah shrugs.

"I mean..." Gary speaks up on the phone.

"Uh, hello? Still on the phone here. Anyway, you tell me what happened then." Bobby tells him everything about their fight. Gary is quiet for a second after Bobby finishes. "So do you think she's cheating on you?"

"What? No!"

"So you just don't want her talking to him?"

"Well, yeah. If it was the other way around she would want me to do the same thing." Hope speaks up.

"He has a point, Gary. Maizie would be just as mad."

"Well, yeah. But walking out of her flat like that didn't help." Noah looks at the phone confused.

"So he was just supposed to stay there while he was that mad so the fight could get worse?"

"Well, I guess not but he could've told her to give him space." 

"What? How am I supposed to get space when I'm at her place? Were we supposed to divide it in half and ban each other from our sides?"

"Look, I don't know what you want me to say."

"At this point nothing. It's not like I broke up with her."

"I'm not saying that. I'm just trying to understand why it's hit you this hard. I mean before you got jealous but never took it out on her like this or refused to talk to her. Except with Elijah but that was a much different situation." Hope looked at Noah.

"Oh, Elijah! I miss him, has anyone talked to him? How is he?" Noah looks at her.

"Babe, not a good time." Bobby shakes his head.

"What do ye mean? Are ye saying I'm overreacting?"

"Not exactly. Just you seem to be more...emotional I guess. But like not emotional but something similar. I can't think of another word." Noah thinks.

"Overwrought? Impetuous? Histrionic?" Bobby looks at him confused.

"I don't even know what those words mean."

"Yeah, mate. Neither do I. Anyway, not overdramatic or emotional but definitely not your normal self."

"It doesn't matter. What matters is she's been talking to some other guy fer who knows how long, making him think he has a chance. I don't blame him fer wanting a chance but she always shuts guys out when they try it on her, so what makes him different? Does she feel some sort of attraction to him? Why did she let this guy get this far? Is it me? Did I do something wrong? I know I didn't tell her about what's been happening at home, but I've always made it very clear how I feel about her." Hope looked at him funny.

"What's been happening at home?" Noah looks at her again.

"Babe, we'll get to that later. Can we please try and get through this first?" She scowls at him.

"Alright, damn." Gary sighs.

"I don't know. I can try to find out." They hear someone talking to Gary in the background. "Yeah, I'll ask. Hey guys, Nan wants to know if you're all still coming to dinner." Gary lowers his voice. "Please for the love of god say yes. She's been cooking all day." Noah smiles.

"That woman can cook. Me and Hope will be there for sure." He can hear the relief in Gary's voice.

"Right. So that's you two and Maizie. What about you, Bobby?" He sighs.

"Dinnae ken. How do ye know if Maizie is going?"

"Bruv, ye haven't met my nan. When she says to do something you do it. She told Maizie to be here and Maizie knows better than to not listen." Bobby smiles.

"Right, well I'm not sure." Noah looks at him confused.

"So what are you going to do if we're all at Gary's nan's? Just sit at her place alone? Walk around town?" Bobby shrugs.

"Maybe." Hope looks at him unamused.

"Bobby. You're brother and mum did not put this all together for you to pout at Maizie's flat because you two had a fight. In fact, they'd probably be pretty mad to hear you two fighting...again." He nods slowly.

"Good point. They'd still probably take her side. I swear they like her more than me."

"I think my nan likes her better than me too. She calls her all the time just to talk. She only calls me to tell me to do something. She does cook for me a lot though." Bobby laughs.

"Anyway, won't it be awkward? When are we supposed to be there anyway?"

"Let me ask Nan. Oi, Nan! What time?" They hear her shout in the background but they can't understand her. Gary laughs. "Alright, alright. I got it. I'll tell them. She said dinner is served at five but you better be here earlier so she can meet you and we can all hang out together. I won't tell you the exact words she used but I suggest you listen...Nan can be scary." Bobby laughs.

"Alright, I guess I'll go."

"Are you going to go back to Maizie's and talk to her? Or are you going to wait?"

"I don't even know what to say. I'm still pretty upset about it and I don't think we should have this talk when I'm upset. What time is it?" Noah looks at his watch.

"A quarter till three. If she wants us there earlier though we should actually head out soon. It's a good drive to get there. Just ride with us, hopefully by the time we get there you'll have figured out what to tell her. But text her and tell her you're riding with us so she doesn't freak out."

"Noah's right, mate. Tell her you're going with them otherwise she'll go into meltdown mode and then Nan might smack you upside the head." Bobby chuckles.

"Alright, I'll text her. We'll see ye soon, mate."

"Alright, later." He hangs up the phone and looks at Noah.

"I don't need to dress up right?" Hope smiles and rolls her eyes.

"No. It's his nan, not the Villa." Bobby rolls his eyes.

"Just saying. The rest of my clothes are at Maizie's." He texts Maizie as Hope touches up her makeup.

_"I'm with Noah and Hope, I'm just gonna ride with them to Gary's nan's. I'll see you there. I love you."_

_"Okay. I'm sorry...I love you too."_ He sighs and texts Oliver too.

_"Have plans tonight so I might not call. But I will if I get the chance."_

_"Okay. Maw says to behave."_

_"Don't I always?"_

_"Almost never. How is it with Maizie?"_

_"Good."_

_"You two are fighting again, aren't you?"_

_"No."_

_"Goddamn it, Bobby. You better have a good reason. You won't find another girl like her."_

_"Alright, Olly. I get it. I've got to go but don't tell Maw about me and Maizie right now. The last thing I need is Maw yelling at me."_

_"Fine, this once though."_ He rolls his eyes and puts his phone away as Hope walks out.

"Let's go." After they were all in the car Hope turned to Bobby. "So what's been happening at home?" He told them about everything that happened and all the stress he's been under. Noah clears his throat.

"So, what about Sam?" Hope frowns at Bobby.

"Excuse me???" He rolls his eyes. "You can get mad at her about this but she can't get mad about that?" He shakes his head.

"It's not that she got mad about it, it was about her trying to control what I did. Besides, I've always shut Sam down so it's not like I made her think she had a chance. Plus, I couldn't put her in the streets and make her sleep in her car. Mates or not, ex whatevers or not, she's a woman who shouldn't be sleeping in her car. It's not safe." Hope thinks a minute while looking at him suspiciously.

"I mean, good point. But still."

"Hey, Maw took care of it not me. All I did was make sure she was safe and went into my room and locked the door." Noah raises his eyebrows.

"Locked the door? Damn, it's like that?" Bobby blushes.

"Maw kind of told me I had to. I would've anyway, cause it's Sam, but she pretty much grounded me." Hope and Noah look at each trying not to laugh. Bobby smiles. "It's okay to laugh. She's a lot like Gary's nan from what I hear." Hope manages to stop her laugh.

"Besides this fight, how have things been with Maizie?" He sighs and smiles.

"Things were amazing...I think we've reached a new emotional level of our relationship."

"Oh? What do you mean?" She gives him a knowing smile.

"Ye know don't ye?" She shrugs. "Why do women tell each other _everything_?" Noah looks at Hope confused.

"What'd they do?" Bobby swats Noah's arm.

"Oi! I'm right here ye know?"

"Right, sorry. What did you two do, Bobby?" Hope laughs.

"Oh, it gets good. They-"

"Oi! Can we not do this right now?" Hope looks at Bobby a minute. She leans in and whispers in Noah's ear.

"Bobby! You saucy git!" Bobby blushes, but couldn't hide his smile.

"I don't know what yer talking about."

"Oh I think you do, mate. That's a pretty big commitment. Are you sure you two are ready for that?"

"I thought we were, which is why this other guy bothered me so much. Like I felt like we reached a point where we wanted to be serious with each other and then I find out she's been talking to this other guy while I'm in Scotland." Noah shrugs.

"Maybe she was going to stop after today. Maybe she felt what you did and wanted to be one-hundred percent committed to this."

"I mean maybe. But she shouldn't have gotten his number in the first place. I mean she tells me she loves me then goes and starts talking to this other guy? Probably, unintentionally, leading him on." Hope gives him a sympathetic look.

"Just try and hear her out. See what she has to say and try to work this out. Don't let this ruin something like this." He sighs and looks out the window a while. Finally, they pull up to Gary's nan's house. Gary meets them outside with a smile.

"Oi! There they are!" He walks up to each of them and hugs them. "Maizie is gonna be here in about ten minutes." Bobby sighs and looks down. "Bobby, please tell me you're not still mad?" He shrugs.

"I'm not mad...just...upset I guess."

"I mean at least that leaves room for you two to work it out." He shrugs. "Alright, come meet Nan. She's so excited to finally meet you." Gary puts an arm around him and leads him into the house. A delicious scent wafts through the house. They walk into the living room that opens into the dining room. The living room has two big fluffy blue couches on either side and two big fluffy chairs with matching foot stools in between them. An oak coffee table, with matching side tables on either side of the couches, sat in the middle. Pictures of Gary and what looks like his mum and nan hung all over the creme colored walls. A display cabinet stood on one side of the room with a ton of trophies in it with Gary's name on them. In front of all the seats there was a big TV stand with knick knacks of tiny birds covered the shelves. Gary leads them into the dining room with a big oak table with eight matching chairs around it. More pictures hung on the walls. Another display cabinet was against one wall that had a tea cup collection in it. A short stout woman stood in front of the stove stirring two pots at once. She looks up and smiles. Her gray hair was tied into a bun, she wore a blue apron with flowers on it over her blue and white floral dress. She walks right up to Bobby and hugs him.

"Finally, I get to meet Bobby! I've heard so much about you, I'm so happy you could make it." Gary smirks.

"Like you'd let him not come, Nan." She rolls her eyes and leans towards Bobby.

"Don't mind him. He's upset I wouldn't let him have a bit of some of my special chocolate cake." She had blue eyes just like Gary's that twinkled with mischief. Gary rolls his eyes.

"I was just trying to get some frosting!"

"With a fork?"

"I didn't want to get my finger sticky."

"That excuse didn't work as a boy it isn't working now. Now set the table."

"But-" She looks at him with a questioning look. "Alright, I'll set the table." Bobby smiles at them. Gary waits until Nan turns her back before he leans in and whispers to him. "Don't let her fool you, she's not that tough."

"I heard that!" Gary laughs.

"I'm just kidding!" Bobby is helping Gary set the table when they hear the door. He turns and sees Maizie standing there wearing blue skinny jeans with a green tank top with fake buttons on the front. She kicks off her shoes and puts her purse in the hall closet.

"Nan! I'm here!" Bobby watches Nan's face light up as she puts down the spoon and hurries over to Maizie.

"There's my granddaughter!" She gives Maizie a big hug. Bobby couldn't help but smile at how cute Maizie looked hugging Nan with a huge smile on her face. She pulls back and looks around meeting Bobby's eyes. She clears her throat.

"Gary, is your mum going to come?"

"Yeah, she's actually upstairs taking a shower. Why?" Just then a woman who likes just like Gary, except no bulging muscles and feminine, walks down the stairs.

"Maizie, honey! It's so good to see you. Where's Bobby?" Maizie smiles and hugs Gary's mum. Gary pushes Bobby towards them and whispers to him.

"Go!" He sighs and walks over to them as they pull apart. Maizie tries to hide her smile as he walks over to them. She takes his hand.

"Janet, this is my boyfriend Bobby. Bobby this is Gary's mum Janet." Bobby holds out his hand only for Janet to ignore it and hug him.

"I'm so happy to meet you! And Maizie, I told you to call me anything but Janet." Maizie shrugs.

"I haven't thought of anything that fits just yet." She clears her throat and looks around. "Right. Well, everyone I have a surprise. So close your eyes! Except you come help me." She takes Bobby's hand and leads him outside. As soon as the door shuts she pulls him in for a kiss. She pulls away. "Mad or not, I want a kiss when you see me after running off like that. I was really worried about you! You've never been to London and anything could've happened to you! Anyway, we'll get to that later." She walks over to her car where he saw a woman with bright blond hair with purple tips, wearing black skinny jeans and a pink blouse with black lace leaning against the car. He beams at her. 

"No way!" He runs up to her and hugs her. "Yer here!" She smiles and hugs him back.

"Obviously I had to come when I heard you were. We needed a reunion." 

"When?"

"Well I called to see if Maizie could pick me up at the airport when you two got into that lovely little fight." He blushes.

"Right. Let's go show everyone their surprise." She smiles and follows behind Bobby as Maizie leads them. She peeks her head in.

"All eyes closed? Good! Keep them closed." She motions for Lottie to be quiet as they tiptoe into the house. She slowly shuts the door as Lottie stands behind everyone. "Okay open!" Everyone opens their eyes and looks at Maizie. Gary looks at her confused.

"What's the surprise?" Lottie clears her throat.

"Yeah, I heard there was a surprise for everyone." Everyone turns and sees her standing behind them. Gary beams and runs up to her and picks her up in a massive hug, making her laugh. He sets her down and looks into her eyes, kissing her. He pulls away leaving her looking flustered.

"You're here! When? How? Why?" She smiles.

"Slow down, babe! I heard Bobby came and I wanted to join in on the fun." His mum and nan ran up and hugged her. Janet beamed as she hugged them back tightly.

"I'm so happy to see you again! Ugh, today gets better and better."

"I missed you so much Mumma Janet." Nan kisses her cheek after giving her a big hug.

"Lottie, you look prettier than ever." Lottie blushes.

"Come on, Nan. We both know you're the heartbreaker here." Nan laughs. Lottie turns to Hope and gives her a huge hug. "I missed you so much!" She hugs Noah tightly too. Nan claps.

"Alright, Janet help in the kitchen. We'll let these kids catch up while we finish dinner." Janet sighs and follows her to the kitchen. Everyone sits down in the living room. Bobby sits by Lottie and Gary on one couch while Maizie sits by Hope and Noah on the other couch. Lottie looks at the two of them.

"Mmm. Nope. One of you needs to go sit with the other one." Maizie shoots her an annoyed look. Bobby raises his eyebrows at her and sits back. She sighs. "Ugh, you two I swear. Alright this gets fixed right here right now. You are not ruining my night." Hope nods.

"Mhmm. Same. So we know what happened with the fight so we need to figure out the back story. Who's going to start?" Bobby and Maizie look at each other, her eyes were hard to read. 

"Fine. I'll go. His name is Eric, I knew him from a long time ago but haven't seen him in years. We exchanged numbers to keep in touch." Bobby looks at her confused.

"So, why did ye lie about meeting him then? Ye pie off any lad that tries to hit on ye and then ye just exchanged numbers with him and expect me not to think something is wrong?"

"Cause...it's a complicated history."

"What like an ex boyfriend or friends with benefits like Sam?"

"No."

"Then what? What made ye have to hide him from me? And why me? I thought we reached a new milestone this morning when we..." He looks at the others and blushed. "I thought we reached a new level in our relationship and then I find out ye've been hiding this guy from me. How do ye think that makes me feel, Maizie? Did ye even think about that? I've poured everything into this and given me to ye completely and the only thing I wasn't honest about was my situation at home." She sighs and looks away. She sits quietly for a moment before she clears her throat and gets up. She walks over to him and holds her hand out. He takes it and stands up looking into her eyes, he sees pain in them.He frowns and puts a hand on her cheek. "What is it? What's wrong?" She takes a deep breath.

"He's Alex's brother. He disowned Alex shortly after we started dating because Alex had a history of hurting women and Eric was tired of watching him hurt them. He told Alex he needed to end things with me and that he couldn't watch him break another woman. This was before we moved in together so he was still the sweet caring Alex at that point and there was no proof he was hurting me because he wasn't. So Eric stopped talking to him. Eric saw me in the pub when I was waiting for Gary and we caught up. I didn't tell you because I don't know. Maybe I didn't want you to worry or maybe I'm tired of him always getting between us. I don't have a real answer." He hugs her.

"Don't hide stuff from me anymore." He pulls back and looks into her eyes again. "Weren't ye the one that told me last night I turn to ye fer comfort and ye turn to me fer comfort? I thought we signed up to stand by each other through the good and the bad." She sighs and nods.

"I did, but honestly when I said that I wasn't even thinking about Eric. I was worried about you, you looked like shit when you got to my flat." He smiled and laughed. 

"Alright, I'm tired of hearing that. Yer like the fourth person to tell me that." She smiles and wraps her arms around his waist, he holds onto her tightly for a minute. She looks up at him.

"You still love me?" 

"I'll always love ye." He kisses her gently. She pulls away slowly and smiles.

"Good, cause you're stuck with me rather you do or not. I'm stickier than glue on a stick." He laughs.

"Ye got that from Rahim." She shrugs.

"When they're absent I must quote them." He rolls his eyes.

"Yer ridiculous, babe." They hear someone let out a huge sigh. They turn and see Janet and Nan watching them. Nan shakes her head at them.

"Thank goodness you two got that fixed before dinner. I wasn't gonna have my famous roast dinner be ruined cause you both can't fucking talk to each other." Bobby and Maizie stared at her shocked and smiling. Maizie puts a hand on her chest.

"Nan!" She shrugs and walks into the kitchen. Janet rolls her eyes.

"You know how she is. She's got a point though I'll give her that." Bobby and Maizie look at Gary. 

"Not gonna help, Gaz?" He shrugs and puts an arm around Lottie.

"Nope. That's all you. You did this not me, I'm not getting into it with Nan. Also I agree with her so..." He shrugs again. Maizie rolls her eyes.

"Rude! How is it I have no one on my side?" Bobby looks at her offended.

"I'm on yer side."

"Now. You weren't two minutes ago." He scratches the back of his head and looks around. He turns to Lottie.

"Hey so, uh, ye live in Australia. That's pretty cool." Maizie laughs and rolls her eyes looking at Lottie and Hope.

"Men." Noah looks at her surprised.

"Hey! We're not all like Bobby!" Bobby points to him.

"Ye were on my side!" Maizie raises and eyebrow at him.

"Oh really, Noah?" Gary raised his hand.

"I was on yours." Lottie shrugs.

"I don't have a side cause I started it by accident so..." Everyone turns to Hope.

"Nope. Not getting into this one." Bobby gasps.

"But Hope. Yer the other half to Hobby! Ye can't just leave me behind like that." Hope rolls her eyes.

"Hun, don't ever say that again." He smiles and wiggles his eyebrows.

"Don't tell me ye don't miss this." Noah winks at him.

"I did." Bobby air kisses his direction. Gary throws up his arms.

"Wait, now I'm left out!" Bobby looks at him amused.

"Ye chose her side so I choose him." Noah fist pumps.

"Yes! I'm number one at last." The girls all exchanged looks. Lottie raises an eyebrow at all the boys.

"Is there something you boys need to tell us? We're not one huge six person couple right?" They hear Nan shout from the kitchen.

"No orgies in my flat!" Everyone looks towards the kitchen and starts laughing. A peaceful vibe hung over the group once again, creating laughter and memories.


	3. The Calm Before the Storm

After dinner they say goodbye to everyone before they leave. Maizie hugs Nan and turns to hug Janet. Nan takes Bobby's face in her hands and looked at him with her twinkling blue eyes.

"You two seem like a perfect match. Her eyes sparkle when you're around, and she smiles more. I'm happy to have another grandson in the family. Dumdum over there was getting spoiled." He smiled at her.

"I didn't know ye were such a melt, Nan." She playfully swatted his arm.

"Keep it between us, eh?" After they finished with goodbyes they went home. They spent the next few days in a state of blissful happiness. Maizie showed Bobby all of her favorite places in London. Her favorite coffee shop, book store, even her favorite spot in her favorite park. With each new thing she showed him he felt closer to her. She was bearing parts of her soul to him she had never shown anyone. _**I didn't think it was possible to love her anymore than I did.**_ She even took him by her job. They stopped to grab some papers she needed so she could keep working from home while he was there. They walked into one of the classrooms and were swarmed by kids. Her face lit up as she talked to all of them, most of them hanging onto her. He loved the look she had on her face as they asked her a ton of questions and updated her on their accomplishments. A little girl with red hair and blue eyes saw Bobby and leaned over to Maizie and whispered in her ear. Maizie turned and looked at Bobby smiling.

"Sophia wants to know if you are my boyfriend." He blushes and smiles as Maizie walked up to him. "What do you think, Bobby?" He chuckles and looks into her eyes.

"Aye, I'm her boyfriend." Sophia looked at him a moment as she stood behind the others. After a minute she came up to him and motioned for him to lean down. 

"Do you love Maizie?" He blushes again.

"Yes, I do. Very much." Sophia smiled and hugged him.

"Good." He hugged her back. He looked up and saw Maizie staring at him intently. After they managed to pull themselves away from the kids Maizie kept looking at him funny.

"What?" 

"Sophia hugged you."

"Aye. Is that weird?"

"Actually, yes. She doesn't talk to anyone really except me and a couple others. She saw a lot of horrible things everyday for four years, so she really doesn't trust people. Especially men. But she talked to you and hugged you." He looks at her.

"Why do ye think that is?" Maizie smiles and wraps her arms around his waist, looking into his eyes.

"I think she saw what I see." He smiles and leans down and kisses her softly.

"By the way...Sophia? That name sounds awfully familiar...oh yeah. Isn't that what we named our doll in the Villa?" She blushes.

"I try not to have favorites." She leans in and whispers. "But she's my favorite."

"I noticed." She pulled him to her and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding onto her tightly. She broke their kiss and looked into his eyes. "I didn't think I could love ye anymore, but somehow I do. Ye said ye don't have a life here but ye do. Those kids adore ye...especially Sophia." She sighs.

"I guess my secret is out on why I haven't left yet. I really do love you and want to be with you, but some of the kids are going through something very specific and they need me. I can't leave until I know their okay. I'm sorry, I swear I'm not trying to hurt you." He smiles.

"It's okay. Now just isn't the right time. I'm not hurt that ye aren't ready. I've always told ye I'll never make ye do anything ye don't want to do and I still mean that. If ye aren't ready to leave these kids then that's okay. We have the rest of our lives to do all that other stuff. Fer now keep being their support system, they need ye."

"I swear I don't deserve a man like you. I thought men like you only existed in fairytales but somehow I found one in real life." He smiles and kisses her again. They hear giggling and look up to see Sophia peering around the doorway.

"I think we have a spy." Maizie smiles.

"What're you doing, bug? What did I tell you about spying on people?" Sophia ran up to her.

"You said not to. But I wanted to see you and Bobby again." Bobby smiles and kneels down.

"I'm honored ye wanted to see me again so soon." She looked at him.

"You have freckles like me, my mummy says they're angel kisses. Do you think that's true?"

"I think it's very possible."

"Maizie says you're funny. I heard her tell one of her friends you were really good at snogging too." He raises his eyebrows and looks at Maizie shocked. She blushes and covers her face.

"She did, did she? I'm guessing ye were spying again when ye heard that." She blushes.

"Maybe." He laughs.

"What else did she say about me?"

"She said that she really loves you and that she wants to marry you. And she hopes you ask her to marry you soon." His eyes go wide as he looks at Maizie. She clears her throat and avoids his eyes.

"Come on, bug. That's enough. Let's go find your mummy."

"Can Bobby give me a piggyback ride?" Maizie looks at him.

"I can do that." He let's her climb on his back and carries her to her mum. She looks up when she sees them walking towards her.

"I see my little one has found you again, Maizie. And it looks like she found someone else." Maizie smiles.

"Crystal, this is my boyfriend Bobby. Bobby this is Sophia's mum Crystal." Bobby sets Sophia down and holds out his hand. Crystal looks at him a moment before taking it.

"You look really familiar." She thinks a moment. "What did you say your name was again?"

"Uh, Bobby McKenzie." She looks at him carefully.

"Is your dad Reggie McKenzie?" He looks down and cleared his throat.

"Uh, yeah."

"I knew it! I met him a long time ago. I lived in Scotland for a year after uni and we worked together. You look just like him, you could be twins! How is he?" 

"He, uh, he passed away a long time ago." Her face falls.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't-" He forces a smile.

"It's okay. Listen, uh, lass. I'm gonna go and give Maw a call and let ye catch up. I haven't talked to her yet today." She smiles softly.

"Okay. I'll be out in a minute. I love you." 

"I love ye too." He kisses her cheek and walks outside. He takes out his phone and calls his mum.

"I was hoping ye'd call me today." He smiles.

"Of course I was. Ye know I gotta get my daily dose of nagging in."

"Oh hush. Ye know I'm just trying to give ye some words of wisdom. Not my fault ye don't listen." He chuckles.

"How are ye feeling today?" She sighs.

"Good. Just tired today, that's all. How's Maizie?"

"Good. She stopped by her job to get some papers she needed to keep working from home."

"Good, did ye meet any of her friends?"

"Yeah, I met a few of them. I met some of the kids she works with too. There's this little girl who adores her and followed us to her office. It turns out her mum knew Da."

"Oh? From where?"

"She said she lived in Scotland fer a year and they worked together. She asked how he was, she didn't know about him."

"Oh...I'm sorry, Bobby. If they hadn't talked in years it's no wonder she didn't know. I know ye don't like talking about him." 

"Yeah, I know. It's fine really. I'm fine."

"Right. So after seeing what she's like at home do ye still think yer gonna marry Maizie?"

"Aye. I love her more and more each day we spend together. I didn't think that was possible." She chuckles.

"Of course it's possible. Yer Da and I loved each other more everyday we were together."

"I hope Maizie and I can have that."

"Ye won't if ye never marry her."

"I'm gonna ask her."

"When?"

"Dinnae ken."

"Mhmm. A good woman can't wait ferever."

"Maw, we've been together fer two months, it would be crazy to ask her to marry me right now. And I don't think I'm ready yet."

"Okay, that's fine. Can I ask why?"

"I just want to make sure I'm the man she deserves as a husband before I ask her to marry me."

"I'm not gonna force ye to do anything, ye know I'm just teasing. But I also want ye to know yer more than what ye think she deserves. Ye'll be an amazing husband no matter when ye marry her. I just wish I could be there to see it." She tried to hide the sadness in her voice.

"What do ye mean?" She's quiet a minute.

"I just mean that we don't know when yer gonna marry her and I hope I get to see it. It could be two years from now and I may not be here by then, we don't know." He frowns.

"Right. Well, uh, I hope so too."

"Alright, well I'll let ye go. Be safe, I'll talk to ye tomorrow."

"Okay. I love ye, Maw." She was quiet a moment before she clears her throat.

"I love ye too, Bobby." She hung up the phone. He stands there a minute looking at his phone. _**Something is wrong, I can feel it. She sounded like something was wrong. Why wouldn't she tell me if something happened? I've got to call Olly.**_ He dials Oliver's number but he doesn't answer so he leaves a voicemail. 

"Hey, Olly. I need to talk to ye about Maw so call me back when ye can. Bye." Maizie walks out after he hangs up.

"Hey, babe. How's she doing?" He forces a smile.

"Uh, good. She's good. She was asking about yer job and stuff." Maizie smiles.

"Right. Did you mention Sophia?"

"I did. And her mum." She avoids his eyes.

"Yeah, that." She looks like she might say something but changes her mind and shakes her head and clears her throat. "So about what Sophia said..."

"About ye wanting me to propose?" She looks down at her feet.

"Yeah, uh, if I'm honest I don't know when I said that. I say that more often than I care to admit. I'm not asking you to propose now or anything, whenever you're ready. I was hoping we wouldn't even have to have this conversation until you were ready because I didn't want you to feel like you had to now that you know I'm ready." He looks down.

"Maizie, we've been dating fer two months now. Isn't crazy to be thinking that deep into this?" She shrugs.

"Maybe. But I kind of thought time didn't really matter when you find the right person."

"But they don't always last when they move that fast."

"Your grandparents did." He takes a deep breath. _**I fergot I told her bout them.**_

"Not everyone does though." She says nothing as she looks out towards the busy street.

"Yeah, you're right. Well, I'm ready to go home. We need to get everything ready for everyone to come over for game night tonight." She forces a smile that he can see right through. He sighs.

"Maizie.." She shakes her head, still making the smile stick.

"No, don't worry about it. It's fine. We need to go though." She walks to the car without say anything else. The rest of the day she acted like she was fine but kept her distance from him. She went to go do her makeup before the others arrived. He walks outside and sits on the front porch as he called Oliver again. He picks up this time.

"Bobby! What's going on, bruv?" 

"Hey. Nothing much, getting ready fer game night. What about ye?"

"Oh nothing. Just about to leave work."

"Did ye listen to my message?" He's quiet.

"Aye."

"Maw sounded different on the phone today."

"Oh really? Weird."

"Oliver, what's wrong?"

"What're ye talking about?"

"Olly, I'm not gonna waste time doing this. I know something is wrong and I need to know what."

"I'm not supposed to tell ye, she told me she'd kill me if I told ye."

"That's a risk I'm gonna need ye to take." Oliver sighs.

"Alright. We got the test results back from when Maw went to the doctor last week." _**Fek.**_

"What were they?"

"It's spreading."

"How long does she have?"

"At best nine months."

"And at worst?"

"Four months."

"Fek."

"Yeah."

"Is she gonna keep doing chemo? Would it even work anymore?"

"Uh, they said we could try. They aren't sure how much it would do. She doesn't know if she wants to yet or not."

"How come?"

"She says she wants to see us both, like, settle down and stuff. She wants to meet Maizie and get to know her. She wants me to find someone and fall in love. She wants to see ye and Maizie build a life together. But she's also tired. She said she's tired of being sick all the time and us revolving our lives around her and doing everything fer her. She wants us to move on and she says we won't until she's gone. Which sounds really dark if I'm honest. But she can't decide if she wants to try fighting fer a little longer fer more time with us or if she wants to just be comfortable and live the last few months of her life to the fullest." Bobby sits there.

"So she doesn't know if she wants to fight to spend more time with us or if she wants to stop and force us to move on?" 

"Well and she doesn't know if she wants to be sick fer the rest of her life trying to fight or feel comfortable and able to do things she hasn't done in a long time. It's about her quality at life too."

"That's true. What do ye think she should do?"

"Dinnae ken. I'm not sure what I would do if I was her."

"Me either." Gary and Lottie pull up. "Well, they're starting to show up so I gotta go. I'll talk to ye later. I love ye."

"I love ye too, Bobby. Have fun. Don't tell Maw I told ye. I'll call tomorrow." He sighs and hangs up. He stands up and make himself smile.

"Oi! About time!" They smile and walk up to him. Lottie hugs him.

"You alright? You looked a little serious when we first pulled up."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Pretty excited fer everyone to get together tonight. Ye think Henrik will come with Chelsea?" Gary shrugs.

"We'll have to see." They go inside and Maizie is cutting cucumbers for Chelsea's gin. "Zi! How are you, luv?" He walks up and hugs her. She hugs him back and pastes on a fake smile. 

"Gaz! I'm great, can't wait to see everyone. Are you two ready for tonight?" Gary looks at her.

"What's wrong?"

"What? Nothing's wrong. I'm just excited everyone is going to be here. Is Priya coming?" Gary and Lottie looks between them before looking at each other. Lottie sighs.

"I got him, you got her." She takes Bobby's arm and walks back outside with him. "Spill." He shrugs.

"What? I have nothing to spill. Everything is fine." She sighs.

"Bobby, don't lie to me. I know you and I know something is wrong." He looks down.

"Not right now, Lozza. I'm not ready to talk about it yet. Not tonight. I want tonight to be about all of us having fun. So pretend like nothing is different and I'm fine. Don't tell anyone ye know I'm upset just insist nothings wrong. Even Gary and Maizie." She looks at him.

"Why?" He shakes his head.

"It's not the time. Now isn't the time. Not tonight." She sighs.

"Okay. I'll see what I can do but you're gonna need to work on your happy face. That smiles was fake as hell." He chuckles. "See there's a real one. Use that one." He rolls his eyes and puts his arm around her.

"What would I do without yer witchy attitude?" She smirks.

"Your life would be very boring." They go back inside as the other start showing up. Everyone they invited made it. Jo, Rahim, Priya, Noah, Hope, Chelsea, Henrik, Marisol and Lucas all squished into Maizie's flat. Bobby didn't have to fake his smile with everyone around. Maizie went into the kitchen to get everyone some drinks, he got up to help. She turned and looked at him but didn't say anything. He sighs.

"Lass, please talk to me." 

"About what?"

"Is it about earlier? What I said about it being too soon?" She goes back to the drinks.

"No. If you're not ready you're not ready. I can't be upset if it's too soon for you."

"Then what?" He walks up to. "Please look at me." She sighs and then looks up at him. "Maizie tell me what's wrong so I can fix it. I don't want to be like this all night. It feels wrong having distance between us." He looks into her eyes.

"I'm a little hurt. Not because you aren't ready, but because you think we could still fail. And I'm worried if you don't think we could make it that we might not. We'll only make it if we want to and try to. You said in the Villa that time doesn't mean anything when it's the right person and I thought you still felt that way about us. But you said it was too soon because it was only two months. I didn't think you were looking at it as a timeline." He puts a hand on her cheek.

"I'm sorry I made ye feel that way. I still mean it about time not mattering. And I still want to marry ye, I just have to make sure I can be the best husband I can be. I want to be the man ye deserve before I make ye my wife. And when I said it's too soon and I'm not ready, I didn't really mean our relationship wasn't ready, I meant me as yer husband wasn't ready. I'm not the man ye deserve yet."

"Why didn't you just tell me that?"

"I didn't know how to explain it and I know ye would've said what Maw said."

"Which is?"

"That I am who ye deserve right now and it doesn't matter when I choose to make that commitment cause I'd make a great husband." She shrugs making him smile. "See? I may be good enough fer ye but I also need to be good enough fer me and I want to be better than good enough." She sighs.

"I'm sorry I didn't try and listen to what you had to say. I guess that's my stubborn side again." He smiles and kisses her.

"It's okay, I love that about ye." She kisses him. "Right, well we better get these out to everyone then." He helps her carry stuff to the living room. For a while they just chatted and caught up on everything. Priya looks at them as Maizie sits in Bobby's lap.

"So how are you two doing? Good I see." Maizie blushes.

"Yes, we're doing great." She smiles at Bobby. Priya leans in.

"I remember when I first came to the Villa. Bobby could never keep his eyes off of you." Bobby blushes. Rahim nods.

"Me too. The first time you two saw it each other, none of us had a chance with either of you." Chelsea beams.

"Remember my first night in the Villa when I accidently ruined everything?" Marisol laughs.

"I definitely remember that hilarious fight Maizie and Bobby had." Henrik chuckled.

"They showed that bit on telly. Everyone loved it." Priya looked at Maizie.

"Did you see Rocco's post about his food truck buisness booming?" Maizie nods.

"I expected him to go back to traveling, being tied down to one spot just isn't him." Lottie frowns.

"Being tied down at all isn't his thing." Hope sighs.

"Lottie, let it go. Maizie and Marisol moved past it and they're the one that were in it." Lottie sighs.

"It's hard to forgive a snake." Jo looked at Lottie confused.

"But how is what he did worse than what you did with Bobby and Gary? Isn't it the same thing basically?" Lottie glares at her. Bobby clears his throat.

"Lottie, don't hex anyone here and let it go. Jo yes it is very similar but we don't really like talking about it." Lucas looked at Bobby concerned.

"Did I really make you that uncomfortable though?" Bobby looks at him trying to find words. Everyone stares, waiting to see what he says.

"Yeah, we don't talk about that either." Chelsea looks around confused.

"So what do we talk about?" Marisol rolls her eyes.

"All the good times we had. The laughs we shared and memories we made." Chelsea smiles.

"Yeah, we made some really good ones. I miss the Villa...I missed this." Priya takes her hand and looks at Maizie.

"I did too. I missed having a chat. At some point though the girls have to split off so we can have our little gossip chats for old times sake." Lottie smiles.

"We did have some good chats. We talked about...a lot of things..." She looks at Bobby and winks. He looks at Maizie confused, she looks away blushing.

"Man what is on my ceiling?" He laughs and pulls her closer.

"Good thing we had plenty of guys chat then to even it out." She looked at him shocked. "What? I didn't say any details. But they do know quite a bit."

"Like what?" Noah shrugs.

"What your knickers looked like that you lost the second time...and why they got lost." She blushes and looks at Bobby.

"You told them about that?"

"Not the details...just what basically happened." Priya sits up.

"Oooh, spicy. Let's hear it." Maizie looks at all their eager faces.

"Basically, after the sexy dance challenge I put on some nice lingerie and did a strip dance for Bobby." Bobby wiggles his eyebrows at the guys.

"Told ye I wasn't lying." Maizie swats his arm. "What? They didn't believe me. They don't believe me most of the time when I tell them what happens." Lottie smirks.

"I find it hard to believe what happened on Sunday between you two." They both blush and look around avoiding everyone's eyes. Chelsea leans towards Lottie.

"What'd they do?" Gary clears his throat trying to hide his smile.

"They, uh...let's just say they tried two new things that day and both of them definitely pushes you to a new level in your relationship. I mean not if your Lottie but with Maizie." Lottie swats his arm. He bites his lip. "What? We've done worse...of course it felt so much better." She blushes and tries to hide her smile. Lucas shrugs.

"Is it better than when Bobby, Gary and Noah got both sets of their partners to kiss? I mean they managed that twice." Gary smiles proudly.

"Three times." Lucas looks at him shocked.

"No way." Lottie swats Gary's arm, making him laugh. Maizie let Hope take control of being hostess. They played uno, charades, truth or dare, never have I ever. They drank, except the designated drivers, and joked late into the night. Bobby was talking to Lucas and Rahim when he saw Marisol walk up to Maizie and start talking to her. Maizie blushes and bites her lip. Bobby turns his attention back to the boys. As people start getting ready to go Maizie walks up to Bobby and wraps her arms around his waist and bites her lip.

"Mmm. Look at you...you're looking sexy." He raises his eyebrows at her.

"Feeling a little frisky?" She giggles.

"Maybe. Buuut, I was talking to Marisol earlier."

"I saw that."

"And maybe she could spend the night." He looks at her suspiciously.

"Okay." She bites her lip again.

"I don't think you get it. I mean _spend the night_. And maybe help us check something off that bucket list." His jaw drops.

"Are ye asking me what I think yer asking me?" She stands on her tippy toes and kisses him, putting one hand in his hair and the other runs under his shirt across his abs to his back, her nails trailing across it lightly. He pulls away and looks into her eyes. "Yer not playing fair now." She smiles.

"I mean if you don't want to." He looks at her a minute.

"What about her and Graham?" 

"They broke up like a month ago."

"So like how would it work? Like who and who?" She smiles. "What? I'm not trying to get in trouble here. Yer fully aware of what yer asking and won't get mad at me tomorrow? Do I need to get this in writing or...?" She laughs.

"Let me put it to you this way...the way you imagine it going is how I want it to go. I'm of full sound and mind and am saying that this will not have any repercussions. This is something I want just as much as you want." He bites his lip.

"Ye really know how to keep me on my toes, huh?" She winks at him as she walks away towards Marisol, leading her to their room. He looks around the corner of the hallway and sees them toss one of their shirts aside. He walks over to Hope, Noah, Gary and Lottie. "I'm not even gonna lie to ye, I'm trying to get some tonight. So I'm gonna need ye all to leave now." They looked at him shocked. Lottie nods.

"At least you're honest. Um, thanks for having us over and use protection." He smiles and rolls his eyes. Hope and Lottie walk outside, Gary looks around.

"What happened to Marisol?"

"Uh, dinnae ken." Marisol calls from the room.

"Bobby...are you coming?" Bobby raises his eyebrows and looks at the guys. Gary frowns.

"Bruv. Don't tell me-" Bobby holds up a finger. Maizie turns the corner of the hallway in her bra and underwear, he points at her but doesn't say anything. She freezes when she sees Noah and Gary standing there. Noah eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head as he checked Maizie out. Gary looked at him confused. "Wait, then-" Marisol turns the corner in her underwear too. She blushes when she sees them standing there. Noah looks at Bobby.

"I knew I should've picked Maizie. Goddamn it." Bobby looks at him amused.

"Anyway, it's been nice talking to ye but yer gonna have to see yerselves out. I gotta go." He turns and takes off his shirt as he chases the girls down the hallway. Noah and Gary look at each other. Gary frowned.

"I don't know how to feel right now cause she's my best friend..." Noah clears his throat.

"Mate, that's gonna be hard to forget." 

"I never thought I'd say that I wish I was Bobby right now." Noah walks out of the door and Gary shuts it behind them. Noah mutters under his breath as he walks to the car.

"Lucky bastard." Hope looked at him.

"What?"

"I'll tell you later." She shrugs and gets in the car. 


	4. After the Bliss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me...I hate myself a bit when I wrote this one. But I hope you like it. :)

Bobby wakes up and looks around. Marisol and Maizie are both asleep on either side of him. **_Ohmygod. That wasn't a dream...holy shit._** The girls start to stir next to him, Marisol groans and opens her eyes. Maizie sits up and looks around. They all three look at each other. He clears his throat.

"We can be adults about this right? Like, still be friends? Mainly I mean us be friends with Marisol cause I definitely want to be more than friends with Maizie." They both smile and swat his arms. Marisol sits up and stretches, still naked. Bobby looked away blushing making Maizie laugh.

"Babe, I realize it would be hard for you to not look or not imagine it when you see her." He shrugged.

"I didn't know if it was still okay." Marisol winks at both of them.

"I hope so. Anyway, yes we can be adults about this. But what I want to know is if we're doing breakfast or do I need to start my walk of shame." Maizie laughs.

"We will make you breakfast, Marisol. Get dressed or wear one of my robes. I don't mind either." She bites her lip, Bobby looks between them.

"I'm just putting it out there, the two of ye can go at it if I'm included or at least can watch." They both swat his arms again. Maizie and Marisol sits on the counters and talk while Bobby cooks. He looks at Maizie. "I thought _we_ were making breakfast." She smiles at him.

"You make it better though!" He shakes his head. After the plates are made he looks up at Maizie and Marisol looking at him.

"What?" Maizie pulls him to her and kisses him while Marisol hops down and stands behind him and wraps her hands around to his abs. He groans. "Fek, yer gonna kill me." Maizie bites her lip and pulls Marisol to her and kisses her. Bobby lifts one of Marisol's legs and runs his other hand up Maizie's thigh. Maizie pulls Bobby to her again while Marisol kisses his neck and runs her hands down his body. He unites Maizie's robe and lifts Marisol leg while Maizie unties Marisol's robe. 

"Bruv!" They all stop and look to see Gary standing there. The girls quickly pulls their robes closed and Bobby pulls both of them behind him.

"Gary! What the hell are ye doing just walking in here like that??" Gary covers his eyes.

"I'm sorry but I had to. Oliver called me." Bobby freezes. "He said you and Maizie wouldn't answer your phones and he really needed to talk to you. Something about your mum." Bobby cleared his throat and turned around making sure both girls were covered before he walked into the room and shut the door. He picked up his phone. **_It's dead...I fergot to plug it in. Fek._** He plugged it in and waited a minute before he plugged it in. When it was finally one he called Oliver.

"About damn time! It's eleven o'clock what the hell are ye doing that's so important ye can't answer the phone?" He cleared his throat.

"Don't worry about it. What's wrong?" Oliver sighs.

"She had a bad night last night. I don't think it's gonna be nine months. We haven't gotten to the hospital...yet. But bad enough to know nine months is a stretch. And she made her decision."

"Which is?" Oliver is quiet for a minute before he clears his throat.

"She's done fighting." Bobby sits there for so long Oliver didn't know if he was still there. "Bobby?" He cleared his throat and sniffles.

"Aye, I'm here. So what about last night? Ye said ye haven't taken her to the hospital yet, why?"

"Mostly cause she's stubborn. Ye know how she is. Which she also wants me to tell ye that if ye come home she'll kill ye."

"Why?? Does she think banning me from seeing her and being there fer her gonna do us any good?"

"I know, I know. So I've been thinking about a compromise. Let me get her there and see what they say. If it's as bad as I hope it's not then I'll call ye and tell ye to come home. If not stay there fer, what's today the 28th, three more days like ye planned on."

"No! I'm not a kid anymore she can't just tell me what to do Olly! If I wanna come home I will! And if she's getting sicker I should come home, especially if ye think she won't make it nine months. How am I supposed to have a good time here now when all I'll think about is Maw?"

"Bobby." 

"No Oliver. Cut the shit. Stop trying to treat me like a bairn. I'm not a kid anymore, I can do something fer her now. I should be doing something."

"Bobby, please."

"Stop it! No! Ye tell me yesterday it's spread and then tell me today that she had a bad night and yer taking her to the hospital then ye think ye can just tell me to stay here and not go home? No, I'm the oldest this should be my responsibility not yers. Ye shouldn't have to be doing everything while I'm here fucking around." Maizie opens the door and looks at him with tears in her eyes. He sighs. "Olly...I have to come home. I'll be home sometime today if I can get my flight switched. I'll call ye when I find out." He hangs up and looks at her.

"I know you're just hurting right now so I'm going to put that fucking around comment on the back burner. But I'm not going to stand here and let you take it out on Olly. He is doing the best he can and he's only human. Do not blame him for anything. Get dressed and get your shit packed. I already called the airport." She grabs Marisol's clothes and walks out. He sighs and rubs his face. After he comes out of the bathroom from getting dressed he sees Maizie packing a bag.

"What're ye doing?"

"Packing a bag."

"Fer what?"

"Fer Scotland." He sighs.

"Maizie, ye can't just pick up and leave."

"I can to."

"No ye can't. Ye have a job and shit." She looks at him. 

"So what? You think I'm gonna stay here and abandon you when you obviously need someone to keep your grounded and stop you from pushing everyone away?"

"I'm not doing any of that but yes ye should stay here."

"You're telling me you don't want me there?" He looks at her trying to figure out what he wanted to say.

"Ye need to stay here."

"Why?" She walked up to him and looked him in the eye. "Tell me why I can't be there?"

"Cause it's up to me to deal with this and I don't want ye to get involved."

"Why the hell not?"

"Cause I said so!"

"That's not a fucking reason! Stop pushing me away."

"No, Maizie. I can't do this right now."

"Do what?"

"This! This fighting and arguing! I can't do this right now!" 

"Bobby!" He looks over and Gary is standing there his arms crossed. "Stop taking it out on her." He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"All I'm saying is I don't even know how bad it is and I don't want ye to be there fer that. What if we get there and it's much worse than we all thought?"

"Then _we_ deal with it. I don't say I love you just because. I say I love you because I want to be by your side through everything life throws at us. And rather you want me to or not I'm coming with you. I'm not asking I'm telling. After what I just heard on the phone with Oliver there is no way in hell you can do this alone and you shouldn't. You're not alone anymore." He looks into her eyes.

"This is my responsibility, Maizie. Not yers, not Dean's, not Louis's and not even Olly's. Mine. I need to be the one to do this. Yer not going."

"You don't get to decide that. It's not up to you."

"Yes it is. My family, my rules. I said no. I don't want ye to be there fer that." 

"There's only one way I'm not going."

"Don't make do it."

"Then don't! Stop being stubborn!" He looks at her for a long time. He grabs his bag and turns back to her. When he spoke, he spoke softer this time. He goes to put his hand on her cheek but stops, dropping it to his side.

"Maizie." He felt his eyes water. She shook her head.

"No, Bobby."

"Maizie...it's over. We're done."

"Bobby, you don't mean that. Don't walk away from me." He walked away and put his bag in the cab he called. He doesn't look at her.

"I'm sorry, Maizie. It's over." He gets in the cab and doesn't look back. The plane ride home he tried to sort out everything he was feeling and figuring out nothing. He wanted hate her for being so stubborn and not listening to him. He wanted to hate her for making him do this. Finally, the cab drops him off at the hospital his mum is at. He pauses in front of her door and wipes his face and clears his throat. After taking some deep breaths he walks into her room. She looks paler and thinner since he saw her. Oliver looked up at him and then looks back down at the ground. Sheila frowns at him.

"What are ye doing here? Oliver I told ye not to tell him!"

"Don't get mad at Olly. I should've been told as soon as ye found out." 

"Ye didn't need to know. Ye should be with Maizie. I would still be here three days from now." He shakes his head.

"Stop pushing me away, Maw. I'm not going anywhere I need to be here. Here is where I'm needed, yer the one that needs me. She doesn't need me."

"Does she think that? What did she say when ye left?" He looks down at the ground quickly before looking back at her. She frowns at him. "Bobby." 

"That doesn't matter right now. This is where I'm needed. Here. With ye and Olly." She shakes her head.

"Bobby, we were fine without ye. Ye should've stayed with her, ye need her. She keeps ye grounded and she stops ye from destroying yerself. Yer different with her. Ye were exactly who ye Da hoped ye'd be."

"I wouldn't have anything if I didn't have ye. Yer the reason I'm even here right now."

"Why? Tell me exactly why ye left her like that?"

"Cause she doesn't need to be here fer this. This isn't her responsibility, it's mine."

"That's a boys answer." He sighs and shakes his head, looking down. "I don't want to see ye right now."

"Maw."

"No, Robert McKenzie. Get the hell out of my room." He looks at her and Oliver before he turns and leaves. Oliver catches him down the hall.

"Bobby!" He turns and looks at him.

"I'm not doing this right now, Olly. I'm not talking about her anymore." He sighs.

"I know. I just wanted to say I'm sorry and if ye need to talk to someone I'm here." Bobby looks at him a minute. "Here. Take my car, she'll calm down and ye'll be back here. I know both ye well enough to know that." Bobby sighs and takes the keys.

"Thanks Oliver. Fer everything." Olly nods and looks down. Bobby turns and goes home. He pulls up to his house and sees Dean's car there. He walks inside to see Dean and Louis cleaning the living room. They looked at him shocked when they look up. Louis crosses his arms.

"What are ye doing here? Where's Maizie?" He looks down.

"She's in London." 

"Why?"

"Cause she is, alright? Can I go put my bag in my room now? Is this done? Are we done?" Louis looked at him a minute.

"Okay." He finally turned his phone back on and sees a thousand texts and calls from Lottie, Hope, Noah and Gary. He put it down and laid on his bed for a while staring at the ceiling. _**What the hell is happing with my life? I did the right thing, right? I've been through this before and she doesn't need to see this. I had a good life and good childhood and it feked me up, it could really hurt her. She doesn't need to see that.**_ His phone rings...it's Lottie. He sighs and answers it.

"Finally! I was getting really worried, Bobby. I thought something happened to you."

"Nah, I'm fine." She sighs.

"Bobby, are you really okay?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Umm because you just broke up with the girl of your dreams...?" He sighs.

"It's what's best."

"Pushing her away? Is what's best? For who exactly?"

"Lozza, I can't do this right now." She's quiet a moment.

"Alright, fine. I'll give you till tomorrow before we need to talk about this. I'm worried about you, we all are." She sighs. "How's yer mum?"

"Dinnae ken. I'm at home right now. I, uh, came to drop off my bag and grab my car."

"Right. Well at least keep me updated."

"I will. Bye." He hangs up the phone and sighs, rubbing his face. He gets a text from Olly a few hours later.

 _"She wants to talk to ye."_ He sighs and gets up and goes back to the hospital. He walks into her room and they look at each other. Oliver gets up.

"I'm gonna go grab something to eat." After he walks out Sheila points to the chair.

"Sit down." He sits down, resting his left ankle on his right knee, and looks at her. "Bobby, why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do ye think this is up to ye and ye alone? Why can't ye let her love ye? Why do ye have to push everyone away? Why do ye make yerself be alone?" He looks at the window.

"Cause I have to."

"But why?"

"Cause I do alright. I can actually do something this time. I don't have to sit here and watch, I can help."

"Why can't she love ye?"

"Dinnae ken." She sighs.

"So why do ye have to push everyone away?"

"Dinnae ken."

"Bobby, I don't know what goes through yer mind or what ye think ye need to do, but I do know ye need her. She's the one ye were missing all this time. How can ye let that go?"

"Maw, I don't want to talk about her." She sighs again.

"Fine." He sits there silently, waiting for the doctors to come in. After what seems like forever the dore finally opens.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. McKenzie, Bobby, Oliver. We've gotten the results from the testing." He looks at the three of them and sighs. "I wish I had better news. It's starting to spread to yer bones." Bobby and Oliver look at each other. "It's my understanding ye said ye don't want to continue chemotherapy, correct?" 

"Aye. This isn't a quality of life. Give me whatever I need to make me feel good enough to walk without a walker, to eat real food, to go outside. I want to spend however long I have with my sons, being the mum they knew." He looks at her sadly.

"Okay. We'll get started on that." Bobby sits forward resting his elbows on his knees.

"How long Dr. Rhodes?" 

"Four months, hopefully." They all just sit there a moment, absorbing the news. "I'm really sorry. I had hoped we could beat it this time." He clears his throat and leaves the room. Bobby and Oliver look at Sheila as she stares out the window.

"Lads, give me some time to myself. Go home, eat, take showers. I need some alone time right now." She looks at Bobby. "Don't argue." They get up quietly and go home. They don't talk the whole ride home and after. The next few weeks are spent between working and taking care of Maw. Bobby arrives at work early in the morning. He hasn't talked to anyone about the fight him and Maizie had, he didn't talk about their breakup, really he didn't talk much at all. Big Jonno walks up to him.

"Bobby, talk to me."

"There's nothing to say."

"There's a lot to say, ye just don't want to say it." Bobby sighs.

"What do ye want to know?"

"What happened?"

"Maw needs me."

"What happened with Maizie?"

"Maw needs me and she doesn't need to see this. This almost destroyed me with Da and Maizie doesn't need to see this. Is the enough? I'm not going into it anymore than that." Big Jonno sighs.

"Bobby, yer hurting yerself. Admitting ye need someone doesn't make ye weak. Letting the person ye love love ye makes ye stronger than ye ever imagined possible. Trust me." Bobby looks at him confused. "I once had a lass that I fell completely in love with. She was bonnie, smart, caring and so strong. She had a fire in her heart that could light up the world. But I was too stupid to let her love me. I let her walk away and never chased her. And that is my biggest regret in life. Don't be stupid like me." He walks away without another word. Bobby looks at him as he walks away. He sighs and finishes cutting the vegetables before break. He looks at his phone and sees another text from Lottie asking him to call her.

"Hey, working again today?"

"Aye. What's up?" She sighs.

"Bobby, it's been three weeks. Wait, what's today?"

"September 18th."

"Yeah, three weeks. You won't tell me about Maizie or about your mum. You won't talk to anyone but me and I'm not even getting anything out of you. Please. Talk to me. Please. I'm worried about you." He sighs.

"What do ye want me to say?"

"Why did you break up with her? Is keeping her away that important?"

"Aye. I went through this exact thing with my Da. I saw him suffer and couldn't do a damn thing about it. I almost didn't make it back from him. She doesn't need that."

"Do you even feel bad about it?"

"I feel awful. I want to go back to the way things were. But I can't."

"Why?" He sighs. 

"It's complicated."

"So why won't you talk to anyone?"

"I have nothing to say. And you're the only one that hasn't pushed on anything the last three weeks. Every time I get a text or a voicemail it's only about Maizie. Ye don't do that."

"It's only cause they're worried about you, you know that right? They love you and care about you."

"I know."

"How's your mum?" He sighs.

"Not good. She's got maybe four months left. It's spread pretty much everywhere."

"I'm so sorry, Bobby. Please let one of us come be with you. Please."

"No, I've got this. I'll be fine." 

"Bobby. You aren't alone anymore, let us be there for you. We're your friends, your best friends. We just want to be there for you." 

"And I appreciate it but I'll be fine. I'm fine."

"Okay. Fine. But call me later, okay? Promise?"

"I promise."

"Love you, Bobs."

"Love you too, Lottie." He hangs up and goes back inside. After work he comes home and Maw is cooking them dinner. He walks up and kisses her cheek. "Smells great, Maw." She smiles.

"Ye know what I want?"

"I'm not calling her."

"Not that...well that. But I was craving one of those lemon berry cakes ye make." She looks at him.

"We don't have any of the stuff here."

"So go get some. Bobby, ye haven't baked in months."

"I baked in London."

"Well then ye haven't baked in at least a month. I miss the whole place smelling like a bakery." He smiles.

"Alright. When's dinner gonna be ready?"

"Ye've got plenty of time to go grab the stuff ye need."

"Okay, let me get changed and go grab it." After a quick shower he opens the front door to leave and sees Lottie standing there. "Lottie. What are ye doing here?" She waved her hand dismissively.

"I told you one of us was going to come here. I just happened to be the one voted to come. I mean I am the only one you're talking to." He hugs her tightly. She hugs him back and sighs. "You look like shit." He chuckles.

"Thanks, I missed ye too. Come in and meet Maw. She's gonna be so happy to meet ye." He pulls her inside and drags her to the kitchen. "Maw!" Sheila turns the corner wiping her hands and beams.

"Lottie! Oh come here, honey! It's so nice to finally meet ye in person!" She gives her a tight hug. "What are ye doing here?" Lottie shrugs.

"Well, dumbass over here wouldn't let anyone come down here so the five of us voted to send me here since I'm the only one he'll talk to." Bobby winces and looks away.

"Robert McKenzie. Yer not talking to yer friends? What are ye doing?" He shrugs.

"I just don't have anything to say. All they wanna talk about is Maizie, except Lottie. That's why I only talked to her."

"Why is it so hard fer ye to admit ye miss her? Why can't ye talk about her? Why are ye pushing everyone away?"

"I'm fine, Maw. I don't want to be crowded and given these sad little puppy eyes every time they look at me. I'm not a bairn." Lottie looks at him.

"Do you even know who you sound like right now?"

"Who?"

"Maizie. You sound like her when she talked to us about Alex." Sheila looked at her.

"What happened with Alex? Is that her ex?"

"Yeah. He-"

"Lottie." They looked at Bobby. "Don't tell her. It's not yer story to tell." Lottie looks him dead in the eye. And pulls out her phone and puts it on speaker.

"Hey Maiz." Bobby looks down and tries to swallow the lump in his throat.

"Hey Lozza. Did you get there yet? Is he okay? How is Sheila? What about Oliver?" He concentrates as hard as he can on anything except hearing her voice.

"Maiz. Slow down, babes. Yes I'm here, Sheila looks great, Bobby looks like shit and I haven't seen Oliver yet." Maizie sighs with relief.

"How specifically does he look? Is it his eyes? They tell you everything. They always looked like honey to me." Lottie sighs. _**She still cares that much about me? Even after I broke up with her?**_

"No, they're dull. He has bags under his eyes and it's obvious he doesn't go outside. I'm not even sure he eats very much, he looks skinnier than usual." Maizie groans.

"Goddamn him. I swear to God I'm gonna fucking kill him. I-" _**I can't do this. This was the right choice, this was the best thing to do.**_

"Maizie!" Bobby shakes his head and walks out the door to go get the stuff for the cake. When he comes back Lottie is setting two cups of tea down on the table for her and Sheila. Sheila doesn't look at him but Lottie does. "You didn't tell your mom everything, did you?"

"About Alex? No. It wasn't my story to tell."

"No, everything about you and Maizie. About why you two broke up." He walks to the kitchen and starts unloading the bags.

"She didn't need to know."

"I didn't need to know that I'm why ye broke up? Bobby, she tried to be there fer ye and ye were stupid enough to walk away from her? Women like that are hard to find. And ye managed to find a really good one who was stupid enough to love ye. Did ye not hear her on the phone? She is worried sick about ye even though ye broke her heart. Ye said ye broke up with her cause she didn't need to get hurt but ye hurt her anyway by breaking up with her. How does that work?"

"Maw! Those are two different kinds of pains. She can come back from me easily. She survived without me before she can do it again. She survived Alex she can survive me. But I know her and she already adores ye without even meeting ye. So if she came here she would become too attached and when the time finally came she would be shattered. I can't do that to her. It's gonna be hard enough losing ye." Lottie rolls her eyes.

"You think she's doing fine without you?" He looks at Lottie but doesn't say anything. "You think she is surviving right now? Bobby, Gary got her to go to work two days ago. And he used Sophia to do it."

"Lottie, stop. I'm done talking about her. If ye came here to talk about her ye might as well go cause I'm not talking about her anymore. I don't want to hear about her and I definitely don't want to hear her on the phone again. Ye pull that shit with the phone again and I swear I'll ignore ye until ye leave." Lottie stares at him.

"Fine. But I just want to say you may be my best friend but you're really stupid." He rolls his eyes.

"Ye wanna help with the cake or not?" She smiles.

"Fine. We do make a pretty great baking team." They managed to get the cake baked before dinner and let it cool while they ate. Oliver and Sheila loved hearing her talk about Bobby and their friends, but she didn't talk about Maizie. Lottie got to meet Louis and Dean while Bobby worked. He came home one day from work and saw that Louis and Dean had left and Lottie was there alone with his mum. He walked in and found Lottie kneeled next to Sheila rubbing her back.

"What's wrong?" Lottie shakes her head.

"Nothing now. She got a little nauseous cause she went too long without eating between her meds. But I got it don't worry, go shower." He looked her confused.

"No I got it. I'll take one later." Lottie handed Sheila a glass of water and stood, putting her hands on her hips.

"Bobby. I got it. Go take a damn shower." He looked at her for a minute. "Now. Don't make me kick your ass." He sighs and goes to take a shower. Over the next few days Lottie forced him to sit down and let her do things. She took over for Dean and Louis and helped keep the house clean. Bobby protested every single day. 

"Lottie, ye don't need to do this. I can do this when I get home."

"Bobby, stop. You are exhausting yourself trying to do everything on your own. I am a grown ass woman and I decide what I do, not you. I am helping you until I leave. It's one more day and then Gary will be here." He looked at her confused.

"What?"

"Oh, we decided we're going to take turns visiting so we can all help you. Me, then Gary, then Noah then who do you want after that?"

"Wait what?" She sighs and takes his hand.

"Bobby, rather you like it or not we're helping you. We're here for you and we aren't letting you push us away. You're stuck with us. So you can either stop fighting us on this and accept it or continue to fight with each of us daily no matter what." Sheila smiles.

"I knew I liked ye." Lottie smiles.

"I like you too Mumma Sheila." Sheila smiles.

"I'll accept that one." Bobby sighs and looks between them, trying not to smile. Lottie looks back at him.

"You need us rather you like it or not. It's been almost a week and you already look a lot better. I still miss your laugh but at least you smile now and don't look exhausted and starving." He hugs her.

"I guess I picked some good friends." She shrugs.

"I mean you didn't have much of a choice. We were stuck in a huge flat together for a month." He smiled at her.

"True, a gothic witch isn't usually the first person I talk to."

"But you love me anyway." He sighs and shakes his head.

"Let's go Queen of Darkness. Dinner is ready." He laid in bed that night unable to sleep. _**Did she really not go back to work after I left? Is she really that worried about me? Did I make a huge mistake? No, no I didn't. This is what's best...right? Yes it is. Of course it is, she'll be fine. I'll be fine. I am fine.**_ He looks through the pictures on his phone and sees Maizie smiling broadly with him kissing her cheek. The next picture was her holding the collar of his shirt while she kissed him. He sighs thinking about that day. He remembered how her kiss taste, how her lips felt, the way she sighed every time he kissed her. He eventually falls asleep that night.


	5. Life Goes On

Gary showed up the same day Lottie left. 

"Bobby! What's going on, bruv?" He hugs him tightly.

"What's up , Gaz?" Gary looks at him.

"Well, you look better than I thought you would." Bobby rolls his eyes. "Now about Maizie."

"Nope. That is the one rule. No talking about Maizie. If ye talk about her I'm gonna ignore ye until ye leave." Gary rolls his eyes.

"Damn you really are stubborn." Gary walks up to Sheila and hugs her. "Nice to meet you in person, finally. I'm not good at cleaning like Lottie or baking and cooking like Bobby and...some people but I'm a great handy man. I can make or fix damn near anything you want." Sheila smiles.

"Good to know. For now I'd like a cuppa."

"That I can do." He points to Bobby. "Sit. We both know I can easily take you down." Bobby rolls his eyes and sits down. Sheila smiles at him.

"I am so happy ye have such good friends to stand by ye. They're just a stubborn as ye, which is what ye need." 

"Yeah, I guess I got pretty lucky." Louis, Dean and his other friend, Leanna, walk through the door. "Hey! Long time no see!" Leanna walks over and kisses Sheila on the cheek.

"Well, stop working every waking moment and we can see each other more. I haven't see ye in months. We used to hang out almost everyday." He stands up and hugs her.

"How's Ashleigh?"

"She's good. She keeps trying to convince me that we should have a bairn...not happening." He smiles. Gary walks through.

"Oh! Lads...and Leanna. This is Gary, my mate from Love Island. He's visiting fer a few days." Gary smiles and hands Sheila her cup carefully.

"Nice to meet you all." Dean looks Gary over, smiling.

"Ye really are that buff." Gary blushes and shrugs. Louis swats Dean's arm.

"Um hello? Yer husband is standing right here." Bobby rolls his eyes. He turns to Gary.

"Louis and Dean have my best friends fer who knows how long. They've been helping with Maw. Leanna was the bass player in Paisley Cuddle." Gary looks at him sadly.

"I forgot you were in a punk band." He shakes his head at him.

"Hey, I was a good drummer." Leanna smiles.

"He was. Last I heard he still had a set of drums in his room." Bobby blushes.

"I have no clue what yer talking about." Louis nods.

"He does, I dusted it when I was here last before Lottie took over." Leanna leads them to Bobby's room.

"Show him what ye got, Bobs." Bobby sighs and sits down.

"It's been a really long time so don't make fun of me." He looks directly at Gary. "I'm talking to ye." Gary laughs.

"I won't I promise." Bobby sighs and picks up the drum sticks and starts playing. After he finishes a song Gary looked at him shocked. "Damn, you're a lot better than I thought." He locks his phone and put it away.

"What was that?"

"What?"

"Yer phone."

"Nothing. Just checking the time." Gary smiles.

"If ye send that to Maizie I might kill ye." He shrugs.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Gary gets a text and reads it. "But I do know that that song is one of her favorites and she can play it on the bass." He shrugs and walks out. Bobby sighs and puts down the sticks.

"I know." He walks out of his room with Leanna staring at him intently. Everyone got along with Gary really well, he fit in perfectly. Leanna and Gary had the same kind of banter.

"See she gets my jokes. They're amazing."

"I loved them and I thought they were hilarious." Leanna looked at Bobby quickly before looking back at Gary. "By the way, I also wanted to say that everyone is jealous of yer friendship with Maizie. Mostly the girls cause they wish they had a lad like that to stand up fer them. The guys say they're jealous mostly cause they'd try to sleep with her." Bobby gets up and walks to his room, shutting the door. **_I'm not doing this shit. I'm not talking about her. Everyone needs to drop it already._** Gary knocks and cracks his door open.

"Hey, mate." Bobby looks at him.

"I'm not talking about Maizie."

"I know. I'm not here to talk about her. I wanted to check on _you."_

"I'm fine. I'm just tired of everyone trying to talk to me about her. I don't want to. I don't like to."

"Would it be okay if I ask why?" He thinks a moment.

"Cause it hurts." Gary sighs and looks down.

"Well, I'm hungry so let's get something to eat." Bobby smiles at him and gets up. "There he is. My goal is to make sure your mum is taken care of and to make you smile." Bobby rolls his eyes. "Hey can you make me sandwich? I still can't get them to look like yours." Bobby laughs. 

"I'll show ye step by step." It was nice having Gary around again. And he was better at cleaning then he let on. After about three days his sandwich skills got a lot better. On day five Bobby came home to see his friends and family sitting in the living room. "What's everyone doing here?" Leanna, Oliver, Louis, Dean, Big Jonna and his other mate, Shaun, and Leanna's girlfriend, Ashleigh, all sat in the living room. Oliver stands up.

"Sit down." He looks around worried.

"What happened?" He sits down. Oliver sighs.

"Bobby. We need to talk." Louis clears his throat.

"We want to talk about Maizie." Bobby sighs and goes to stand. Gary looks at him.

"I will sit on you. I know you don't want to be we need to. Please. Everyone is worried about you."

"Why?" Leanna rolls her eyes.

"Ye don't joke anymore, ye don't laugh anymore, ye barely smile." Dean readjust on the couch.

"Ye don't bake anymore, ye just work or sit at home. Ye don't talk to anyone." 

"I talked to ye lot the other day."

"Only cause we cane here."

"I talk to Gary and Lottie."

"Mate, you only started talking to me when I showed up. Before that you only talked to Lottie. It's been six weeks since you talked to Noah or Hope or Rahim. They all keep trying to reach out but never hear back from you. We need to talk about Maizie."

"What do ye want me to say?" Oliver sighs.

"We want to know why."

"Why what?"

"Why ye broke up with her?" Sheila speaks for the first time since he got home.

"And we're talking deeper than ye didn't want her to be here." Bobby thinks.

"That's why though. It's what was best. I need to be focus on this. Since I broke up with her things have gotten better around here." Oliver shakes his head.

"No. Things got better when yer friends decided they'd had enough of being ignored and came here. But ye still aren't better. Yer still not Bobby." Gary sighs.

"I know she said you were her sun and you made the gray clouds go away, but I think she's yours. She says you saved her when she didn't know she needed to be saved but she saved you. You may have helped her fix her broken pieces but she fixed yours without either of you knowing it." Sheila nods.

"She was yer missing piece. Without her yer not Bobby anymore." Big Jonno finally sat up and looked at him.

"I've known ye most of yer life, Bobby. I've seen ye go through a lot and go through different changes over the years. I was there when yer Da got sick and ye lost him. A part of ye died with him. And fer a long time it always seemed like there was something missing. And then when ye met Maizie everything changed again. Ye had the light in yer eyes again. Even when ye didn't see her fer almost two months ye still had something about ye that made ye Bobby again. But since ye came back from London something is missing again. And it's in London, waiting fer ye to call her." Gary sniffles and clears his throat.

"Bobby, she hasn't been the same since you left. She only goes in the kitchen to wash her wine glasses and get her wine from the fridge. She just started going to work only when I made her start getting her up. Someone stays with her every night cause her nightmares have gotten worse. A lot worse. I even brought her cupcakes one day to try and cheer her up and she threw them away cause they were blue. She gave her Harry Potter books to Noah. She doesn't even read anymore. The only thing she does do is paint still but no one can see them. But I guarantee they're something related to you. After Lottie called her the first day she was here she started cleaning her flat and getting dressed everyday cause she knew you were okay. She asks Oliver everyday how your mum is doing cause she's worried about her too. You said you broke up with her cause you didn't want her involved but she still is. You didn't want her to hurt cause of your mum but she still is. Breaking up with her only means you aren't her boyfriend anymore. It doesn't mean she stopped loving you and it doesn't mean she doesn't care about your family. She may not be here to see it but she hears about it everyday." Oliver shrugs.

"She makes me tell her everything. If I leave anything out she somehow knows and makes me tell her. Rather ye wanted her to be or not she's a part of this family now. She's invested in it." Bobby sighs.

"I appreciate ye all caring about me so much. And I'm sorry to hear she's doing so bad. I'm sorry I hurt her, I didn't want to. But maybe that just shows it was better this way instead of us getting too serious. Before we lived together, before we got married and had kids, before all of that. This way she still has a better chance at moving on. But I'm not calling her." Shaun clears his throat for the first time in this conversation.

"Do ye love her?" He looks at him. "I don't want to hear anything except yes or no. Do ye love her?" Bobby tried to keep his emotions under control.

"Aye, I'll always love her. But whatever chance of a future we had is done. Even if I did call her, she probably wouldn't want to talk to me at this point. And I don't want to cause if I hurt her this bad I can't chance hurting her again. She can still make it without me right now." he gets up and walks out of the door. He drives around for a long time trying to clear his head, trying to stop thinking about her. He couldn't stop imagining everything Gary described. He became disgusted with himself for putting her through that. After a while he drives home to find Sam sitting on the porch. "What are ye doing here?" She stands up.

"I wanted to check on ye. I heard ye and Maizie broke up. I know how much ye loved her and I was worried about ye. I heard ye weren't doin too well." He stands there and doesn't say anything. "Bobby, say something."

"What do ye want me to say?"

"Anything." She walked up to him. "Can I give ye a hug? Just a hug that's it." He doesn't say anything. She closes the distance between them and hugs him, resting her head against his chest. "I missed this. I mean it would be nice if ye hugged me back but it's still nice to hug ye." He still doesn't say anything. She looks up at him. "Please say something."

"I don't have anything to say, Sam."

"Why did ye break up?"

"Cause it was what was best."

"Fer who? Cause it doesn't look like it's what's best." He looks at her. "Bobby, ye love her. Just be with her. Let her love ye."

"I can't." She sighs and looks into his eyes.

"I'm sorry." She leans up and kisses him. She wraps her arms around his neck. He hesitates before putting a hand on her hip. Kissing her back hurt him, like his kiss with Sarah did. Sam pushed her body into his more and ran a hand into his hair, the way Maizie used to. She bit his lip softly, like Maizie used to. He pulled back and looked at her. "Is she worth it?" He steps back still looking at her. His brows furrowed together. He doesn't say anything as he goes back inside and goes to his room. He skips dinner and doesn't come out. He sits there thinking about everything. _**Should I call her? No, she's probably just gonna get mad I decided to call her after almost two months. Wait, what's today?**_ He looks at his phone. **_October_ _8th, so it's been two and a half months almost. She_** _ **should move on, she needs to move on. Someone else can treat her better than I can. Maybe they won't hurt her. I've already hurt her, it's too late fer me. Any chance I had is over.**_ Someone knocks on his door. 

"Come in." Gary opens the door.

"I go home tomorrow. Noah will be here when you get home from work." Bobby looks at him.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Fer not talking to ye, fer blowing ye all off, fer hurting her, fer being too stupid to just let her come with me, fer not calling her, fer getting mad at ye fer talking about her, fer getting mad at Lottie fer calling to her, fer everything." Gary sits next to him on the bed.

"I know your heart was in the right place. You didn't mean to hurt her. You were just too stubborn to see that walking away would hurt her more."

"Do ye think that would hurt more than watching Maw get weaker and weaker?"

"Honestly? Yeah. After your mum passes she would still have you. Now when she passes she won't have your mum or you."

"Are they really that close?"

"She calls her all the time. She texts Oliver everyday about her. She calls her Maw." 

"I'm stupid aren't I?" Gary chuckles.

"Yeah, you are."

"I can't believe I feked everything up again. I can't believe I ruined this with her. It's probably a good thing I broke up with her so I can't do it again."

"For what it's worth, I don't think you ruined it. I think she'd still take you back, but only if you asked her to. She doesn't want to make you do it. She wants you to do it." 

"Sam kissed me again."

"Wait what? When?"

"Earlier when I got home. She was outside and started talking to me and then she kissed me."

"Did you stop it?"

"Sort of. Not at first but then I stepped back. I guess that counts."

"Did you like it?"

"No. It wasn't Maizie. It felt like I was cheating on her."

"You two may not be together but you still love each other." They sit there quietly for a while. Gary finally stands up. "I better go call Lottie before she goes to bed. She gets mad if I don't say goodnight to her." Bobby smiles.

"Alright. Night. I'll see ye when I see ye. Thanks fer coming, mate. Thanks fer sticking by me." He smiles at him. 

"Night, Bobby. Just reply to my texts this time." He walks out and shuts the door. Bobby takes a quick shower before bed and finally lays down and sets his alarm. _**I've got to fix this somehow. I need to figure this out. I at the very least need to apologize.**_ He eventually falls asleep being awoken by the sound of his alarm.

"I don't need to go to work right?" He sighs and gets up and heads off to work. He thought all day about what to do. He decided he needed to talk to her but he couldn't figure out how. _**What do I even say? It's been so long I don't know what I can say to make up fer it. And I probably won't make up fer it. Would she even take me back? Gary says he thinks she would, but who knows with her. She can be unpredictable sometimes. Maybe Noah can help me, he's more the romantic type. I can't believe I feked this up again.**_ He sits in his car after he gets home. "What the fek do I do?" He sighs and goes inside. He smells something good. "Oi! Noah! I didn't know ye cooked, mate." Noah turns the corner and smiles at him.

"Bobby!" He hugs him tightly. "I don't know what Lottie is talking about, you don't look like shit to me." Bobby smiles.

"Thanks, yer the first person to say that in a while." Noah walks back to the kitchen and Bobby follows. "So what are ye making?"

"I call it roast and potatoes but I think you call it mince and tatties, maybe meat and tatties?" He walks into the kitchen and stops at the entrance. Maizie turns around and looks at him with a spoon in her hand. "I hope your hungry, I tend to make too much of this." Noah stands between them looking at them, smiling like an idiot.

"I hope you don't mind, I brought a friend for dinner." He couldn't stop staring at her. She looked thinner and her hair was longer. Her eyes were still vibrant green, but they didn't sparkle anymore. Her hair seemed to be a lighter brown than he remembered. She still had her lip ring, her freckles were faded. She crosses her arms and looked at him.

"I hope me being here doesn't cause problems between you and Sam." He looks at her confused. "Don't play dumb. Gary told me you kissed her." 

"What?" She starts walking towards him.

"That's all you have to say? You dump me, run off, don't talk to me for two months, kiss another girl, who happens to be the girl who kept trying to get between us, by the way. And now all you have to say is what? You told me you loved me and then you break my heart cause you're too goddamn stubborn to shut up and let me love you. You are such a-" He pulls her to him and kisses her. He kissed her like no one else was around and poured everything he wanted to say into their kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. She pulls away. "You're such a fucking idiot." He smiles.

"I know." He kissed her again like she was a dream and he'd wake up any minute and she would be gone. He finally pulls away and looks at her. "Maizie." She nods.

"I know. You weren't trying to hurt me. But you ever do that again and I might actually kill you." He smiles.

"Please do." They hear sniffling and he looks over and sees his mum smiling at them with tears streaming down her face. "Maw, what's wrong?"

"That's the first time I've seen a genuine smile from ye since ye came home." He blushes and looks at Maizie. She smiles at him, her dimples showing. He hugs her tightly.

"If this is a dream I swear I'm never waking up." She laughs.

"It's not a dream, I'm actually here." She starts to pull away.

"No, I'm not done yet." She laughs again.

"I'm going to burn dinner if you don't let me go." Olly shouts out to him.

"Let her go dummy. I'm hungry." He smiles and let's her go. She walks back to the stove and he walks up behind her and wraps his arms around her.

"Am I going to have to cook with you on me the whole time?"

"I mean I have to go take a shower so no, but after that ye probably won't get rid of me." She smiles.

"I guess I'm okay with that. But you better hurry with that shower, it's almost done." He sighs.

"Fine." He kisses her cheek. "I love ye, Maizie." 

"I love you too, Bobby." He manages to pull himself away from her and goes to take his shower. When he walks back out Maizie is setting the table. He walks up behind her and wraps his arms around her again. "You're done then?"

"Mhmm." She smiles.

"Help me set the table."

"But ye look so good doing it."

"Set the table or you don't eat." 

"Ugh, fine." He lets her go and helps her finish setting the table. Olly looked at him and shook his head.

"Ye are so dumb." Bobby rolls his eyes.

"At least I have someone who loves me enough to see past how stupid I am." Maizie swats his arm.

"Be nice to your brother. From what I hear he may be just as lucky." She smiles at Oliver.

"What? Who?" Oliver clears his throat.

"I'm gonna go this way and...do...something." He starts to walk off before Bobby grabs his arm.

"No ye don't. Who is it?" He sighs and turns around.

"I've been talking to Ainsley a lot."

"Really? Yer with Ainsley?"

"I mean I don't like titles but yeah."

"That's good! She's a good lass."

"Alright enough mushy stuff. Let's eat." They all sat down and ate together, for the first time in a long time Bobby felt complete. He laughed for the first time in months, his mum and brother looked genuinely happy. After dinner Maizie starts clearing the table.

"Nope. Ye cooked I do the dishes." She rolls her eyes.

"Why not do them together?" He shrugs.

"Ye can dry." After the dishes they all sat down in the living room and talked some more. Sheila sighed and looked at Maizie.

"So how long ye staying, honey?"

"Um, that depends really."

"On?" She looks around awkwardly.

"I'm going to stay as long as I can until I know Bobby will be okay for a while so I can I finish wrapping things up in London. I brought my stuff to work from home so I'll still be able to do that and don't have to worry about that." Noah shrugs.

"I'm only here a week. Sorry, Bobby. I know it's going to be hard for you to say goodbye to this." Bobby smiles.

"Ye know it, big man." He winks at him. Sheila sighs.

"Well, I am beat. I'm goin to bed." Maizie gets up and points to Bobby.

"Stay." She turns and helps Sheila stand up and walk her to her room. Bobby watches her talk to her, laughing. Noah and Olly sit on either side of him. They rest their heads against their hands and bat their eyelashes.

"Golly, he looks so in love doesn't he, Noah?"

"He really does. I wonder when they're going to get married." Bobby smiles nudges both of them.

"I hate ye both." Olly smiles.

"No ye don't. Ye love us." He rolls his eyes. "I'm just saying, once again I work my magic and get her here cause yer stupid." Noah nods.

"He's right. Him and Gary both got this figured out. My job was to make sure she got from there to here in one piece...and stop her from drinking her weight in wine. Which was hard to do." Bobby laughs.

"I know that was hard." He sits there quietly a moment. "I really hurt her didn't I?" Noah sighs.

"Yeah. I've never seen her look so...defeated. It varied a lot between sadness and anger. At first she was pissed. And then she started seeing how upset you were and she started to feel sad you made both of you hurt. And then it kept bouncing between anger and sadness."

"Wait seeing me?" Oliver cleared his throat. 

"I might've sent her a couple pictures I took when ye weren't looking. She kept asking how ye were and the way ye looked...no words could describe it. So I sent a couple pictures."

"I'm not sure how mad I should be at ye..." Maizie cleared her throat. 

"Not at all. He did what I asked him to. Benefits of being the girlfriends sister. The girl his brother loves I guess." Noah stands up.

"Oliver, we should give these guys a few minutes. Show me around." Oliver stands.

"Right. Follow me. Bobby, don't fek it up again. I'm tired of cleaning up yer messes." Bobby smiled as they left them alone. Maizie sits down next to him.

"So I don't really know where to start. I guess what I want to know first is why. Not why did you break up with me but why did you not call me? Why was it so easy to walk away?" He thinks.

"It was anything but easy. I told myself I was doing the right thing over and over even though it felt wrong. But then I convinced myself it felt wrong cause I loved ye so much and that made me selfish. I never called cause I convinced myself I hurt ye too bad to want to be with me anymore. And I convinced myself not to call ye cause I didn't want to chance hurting ye again." She sat there quietly.

"Why do you feel like this is up to you? Not just me being here but taking care of your mum?"

"When my Da got sick, I couldn't do anything. I wasn't strong enough or old enough or anything. I felt useless and then we he died I felt like if only I did something maybe it would've helped. Maybe me helping would've made him live just a little bit longer. So when Maw got sick I was old enough and strong enough. And I was also the oldest and the man of the family so it was my responsibility to take care of everyone. And if everyone else was doing all this stuff then I wasn't living up to the expectations."

"But Bobby, accepting help doesn't make you any less of a man. I guarantee your dad asked for help when he needed it. I can't compare to my dad cause he didn't do anything so you know. But anyway, how did it feel when you got help anyway?" He sighs.

"It felt nice to have people who care so much about me that they'd do it anyway. Louis and Dean volunteered to help but I felt bad like they had to cause Olly and I have jobs. But when Lottie and Gary showed up I felt relieved I guess. I didn't ask them to do anything. And even when they were here I kept trying to do stuff and they wouldn't let me. But I saw how they were with my family. They treated her like she was their own mum and never acted like anything was a burden."

"Which considering you look so much better I take it that it took stress off of you?" 

"Aye. I started to worry less about her cause I knew they would do anything and everything. Every time I came home when Lottie was here the house was cleaned and she was cooking dinner. When I came home with Gary here he had fixed random things around here. He fixed the garbage the washer, the leaky roof, the creaky doors, the broken door lock. He built Maw that table by her chair." Maizie looked at the table and smiled.

"And do you feel like any less of a man?"

"Well, no. I guess I don't."

"Babe, you've had some really incredible friends before all of us. And they obviously care for you and your family like their own. But I think you needed people like us to really show you it's okay. You've known your friends here for probably most of your life. So them being here didn't change anything in your mind. But seeing Gary and Lottie flying here and stepping up, I think that finally made something click." He thinks a moment.

"Honestly, yer probably right. That makes sense."

"Bobby, I love you. I barely survived this and I don't think I can next time. So don't let there be a next time. I want to spend the rest of my life right here with you. Let me decide what I can handle. I don't care what life throws at us, I want us to handle it together. Side by side." He smiles and takes her hand.

"I love ye, lass. I'm sorry fer being so stupid." She smiles.

"That's okay. I chose to love you and all your stupid decisions." He leans over and kisses her. "Now about this Sam thing..." He laughs.

"She kissed me to show me I'm stupid." She looked at him suspiciously. "She told me that breaking up with ye didn't seem to be better fer either of us. I wasn't saying anything so she looks at me and says 'I'm sorry about this' and kissed me. When I pulled away she asked me if ye were still worth it. Which is what Sarah asked me and she asked Noah when ye girls were at Casa Amor and we got the video. She made me realize how stupid I am." Maizie smiles.

"I'll forgive it this time. But let's not have a next time." He looked at her. _**I've got to prove to her that I mean it this time. This is it. No more running away.**_ "What are you thinking about?" 

"I still can't believe yer here. I definitely wasn't expecting."

"That was the point. Otherwise it wouldn't have been a surprise." She stands up. "Let's go to bed."


	6. Family Ties

Bobby's alarm went off the next morning. Maizie held onto him tighter. 

"No. Call in." He chuckles.

"I can't, lass. I have to go to work." She snuggled into him. 

"You can tell Big Jonno he can come fight me if it's a problem." He chuckles and kisses her neck.

"I think he might actually laugh at that one. I'll be home soon." She groans. 

"Fine." She gets out of bed. 

"What're ye doing?"

"Getting up, duh."

"But why?"

"You just had Gary here for a week...this place needs help." He laughs. 

"Good point." He gets up and starts getting dressed as she walks up behind him and wraps her arms around his waist. He pauses and holds his hands over hers. He turns around and looks into her eyes. "I love ye, Maizie." She smiles. 

"I love you too." He kisses her softly.

"Okay. I gotta go or I'll be late." Before she can leave the room he's dressed and at their door.

"How did you do that so fast?" He blushes.

"Uh, that's not important." She raises an eyebrow. "I love ye, lass." He kisses her again and walks out the door. When he gets to work he didn't even try to hide his smile. Big Jonno looked at him funny.

"What's got ye so peppy this morning?"

"I get home yesterday expecting to see one of my friends from England and not only do I see him but Maizie was in my kitchen cooking dinner." Big Jonno smiles brightly.

"Congratulations man! So yer good now? Yer back together?"

"Aye. She fergave my dumbass. She's gonna stay until everything with Maw is over."

"So what're ye doing here?"

"Uh working? Though she did tell me to call out and tell ye that if ye had an issue to go fight her." Big Jonno laughed.

"Ye got a frisky one there, Bobbo." He picked up some papers and looked at it. "Well, I'm over staffed today. Go home." Bobby looked at him suspiciously. 

"It's the busiest day of the week."

"And I have more than enough people to handle it. Go home. But I expect to meet her soon." Bobby smiles at him.

"Thanks, man." He turns and goes back home. When he walks in the house Maizie was tidying up the living room. She looked at him confused.

"What time is it? Did I spend all day trying to fix these cushions?" He smiles.

"No. Big Jonno sent me home when I told him ye were here. He also said I need to introduce ye to him." She smiles.

"Funny story by the way. My mum once told me about this guy she used to date. She said she really loved him but he wouldn't commit to her. He said he loved her and they moved in together but he wouldn't go past that. So she left him, hoping he would chase after her but he never did. One day I was looking through some pictures she pulled out and I saw Big Jonno. So guess who the love of her life is?" His jaw drops.

"No way. He was telling me the other day about her! I mean he didn't know it was yer mum but he told me about the lass he let walk out of his life. I think he still loves her."

"I think mum still loves him." She gets a certain look. 

"Lass, do ye really think it's smart to get involved in yer mum's love life?"

"After my dad she will love me for it." He smiles.

"So what now?" 

"I'm gonna call my mum in a few hours and see if I can convince her to come here. If I ask Ainsley I'll probably have a better chance cause she literally does anything Ainsley wants...no shade though." 

"Well, how do we get her and Big Jonno together?"

"Good question. You know him better than me. Is there anything he sees you outside of work for?" He thinks hard for a moment.

"Pretty much just big life events. Except a couple days ago when him and a bunch of my other mates came over and had what I can only describe as an intervention."

"An intervention? For what?"

"Fer being stupid and not calling ye." She giggles.

"I could see Gary doing that." Bobby walks up to her and takes her in his arms. She blushes as he looks into her eyes.

"What's got ye so nervous?"

"You. It's been a long time since we've done this." He leans his forehead against hers.

"I know. I'm sorry bout that."

"It's okay. I know you didn't mean to. You're just really stubborn, but so am I. So I think it works out." He leans down and kisses her.

"Well, I'm going to go change." She bites her lip.

"Sounds like a good time to me." He winks at her and walks into his room. She follows and shuts the door before grabbing his shirt and pulling him to her. She kisses him hard, his heart beating faster. She takes his shirt off and looks at his chest, running her hands across his skin softly. She looks into his eyes as she pulls her shirt off. He frowns a second. "What's wrong?" 

"Is that the bra ye wore the night we had a threesome?" She blushes.

"I didn't know you were paying attention to that."

"Really? That is literally every guy's dream. I paid attention to everything." She smiles and slides off her shorts, biting her lip.

"Now you've got me thinking about that." She leans into him, pressing her chest into him. "That was one hell of a night. We should do it again." He groans.

"Damn, yer killing me." He picks her up and takes her to his bed, making her giggle. He gets on top of her and kisses her. She wraps her legs around his waist and gently bites his lip.

"I don't want foreplay. I want to feel you right now." She kisses him as she sits up and undoes her bra tossing it aside. She unbuttons his pants and pulls them down. He quickly pulls her panties off. He looks into her eyes as he enters her, making both of them moan. He moves slowly as she moans against their kiss. "Bobby, I'm not gonna last very long." He smiles and pins her thigh down, going deeper inside of her. She arches her back and bites her lip hard.

"Yer gonna make yer lip bleed, lass." He kisses her, moving along her jaw to her neck.

"How else am I supposed to be quiet? I don't want to wake everyone up." She digs her nails into his back.

"Fek, Maizie." He reaches between them and rubs her as he moves. She leans into his shoulder, trying to stay quiet, and bites him. He moves faster, making her dig her nails into him harder. The louder she got the harder she bit him. She finally comes, him finishing right after as he thrusts into her hard.

"Fuck, Bobby." He gets off and lays next to her. She rolls over and starts kissing his neck and wraps one leg around him. He smiles.

"We literally just did it like two seconds ago."

"I wanna go again." She kisses him and gets on top of him. "And he seems to be saying he's ready for round two." She kisses him as she sits on him, combining them together.

"Fek." She moves faster this time, he puts his hands on her hips and thrusts as she moves. He sees her biting her lip again. He sits up smiling and kisses her. "Stop that. Yer gonna make yer lip bleed."

"I don't think your family has any interest in hearing us have sex."

"Then bite me but just stop biting yer lip." She smiles.

"You're just saying that cause you like it when I bite you." He kisses her again.

"Then it's a win-win." He kisses her shoulder, moving up to her neck and marking her. She kisses his neck and marks him back. He holds her close as she moves faster. She bites his shoulder over and over again, trying to stay quiet, as she digs her nails into his back.

"Fuck, Bobby. I missed you, I missed this." She bit him hard again as she came. His grip tightened on her hips.

"Fek. I missed ye too, lass." He pushed her onto him as he came. She laid on top of him, panting.

"Is it just me or is make up sex better than any other sex?" She rolled over and laid next to him. He smiled and looked her.

"It's not just ye thinking that." After they caught their breath they got up and got dressed. She smiled as she pulled a shirt out of her bag. She held it up with her goofy grin, making him laugh.

"Guess what we're wearing today." She holds up the purple shirt with a cookie and a cupcake holding hands. Under it it reads 'You're the cookie to my cupcake'. He rolled his eyes.

"Yer gonna make us wear our matching shirts?"

"Yes. I am _that_ type of girlfriend." He gets his shirt and puts it on, loving the smile it gave her. He hugs her tightly.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." He holds her for a minute until they hear the others awake. She kisses him intimately.

"We better go get the rest of this day started." She takes his hand as they walk out of the room. Oliver, Noah and Sheila are already in the kitchen. Noah smiles at them.

"You two look happy...and matching." He looks at them curiously. Sheila smiles.

"Are those the shirts I bought ye???" Bobby smiles at her and kisses her cheek.

"Yes, Maw. They're the ones ye bought me. Specifically fer when I got a girlfriend." Oliver looked at him confused.

"Weren't ye literally a man whore when she got those?" Sheila shrugged.

"I was trying to tell him to keep it in his damn pants and find a good woman." Maizie laughs and looks at Bobby.

"See, now I'm glad I don't know your number. I didn't know it was a man whore stage." Noah shrugs.

"I know his number." Olly leans towards him.

"What is it?" Noah leans over and whispers it to him. "Damn, Bobby! Is that people or times???" He blushes and clears his throat.

"People mainly. I don't want to count how many times." Oliver looked really confused.

"I thought ye didn't sleep with women more than once." Sheila swatted Bobby's arm.

"Bobby!"

"Ow! What? I didn't want all this. And they all knew that. But until Sam it wasn't more than once. And then after Sam it went back to not more than once." Maizie looked at them unamused.

"I'm not loving this conversation first thing in the morning." Noah sips his brew and looks at her.

"Well not _first_ thing in the morning." She looks at him suspiciously. "Maizie, you seem to have something on your neck. Oh hey, look at that. Bobby has it too." Maizie blushes and stares at him.

"Hey, you know." Noah smiles and shakes his head.

"That's nothing than compared to what I saw at the Villa. He was always covered in bite marks." Oliver looked at them shocked.

"Damn, lass. He's not a chew toy!" Sheila rolls her eyes.

"I really don't want to hear this." Bobby smiles at her.

"Noah started it." Noah looks at him.

"Hey, don't go tattling on me to Maw." Sheila shakes her head.

"Boys, stop it. I may be sick but I'll still kick yer ass." Maizie smiles and walks over to Sheila and helps her out of her chair and walks with her to the living room. Bobby watches them walk together and smiles. Noah walks up to him and props his arm against his shoulder as he leans on him.

"You got lucky, Bobby. Not everyone can find that. Women like her are hard to find, trust me I looked."

"What about Hope?"

"I love Hope. But it's been very difficult for us. My sister hates her and there's still this whole not wanting kids thing with her."

"Why does yer sister hate her?"

"Cause of the way she acted at the Villa. Her whole jealousy thing and then leading Jakub on so he'd choose her. And then with the baby challenge and how Hope doesn't even want to think about having kids when she knows I really want kids." Bobby sighs.

"So what're ye thinking?" He shrugs. Maizie walks over to them.

"Want a woman's perspective?" Noah looks at her suspiciously.

"You're her best friend though..." Maizie smiles.

"But right now this is guys chat. When we have girls chat it doesn't get repeated to our guys. Same thing here." He thinks a moment.

"Okay, but if she finds out and I get in trouble I'm going to be knocking on your door for a place to sleep." Maizie smiles.

"My couch is always available. But the way I see it is if I was in that position like I wanted kids and Bobby didn't it would have to be a deal breaker for me. But it would be a deal breaker because I really really want kids. Like really really want them. Like the next five years I want two." Bobby looks at her quickly.

"Two in the next five years??" She smiles at him.

"We can talk about that later. Anyway, what you need to figure out is how bad you want them. Can you see yourself marrying Hope and being okay with not having kids? Is she even willing to think of it as a possibility? Like is it a definite no or is there wiggle room? I like seeing you two together, I think you're a cute couple and you balance each other out. But you are both my friends. So either way one of my friends probably won't be happy. And I know it seems like it but I don't have a favorite. We talk on the phone more because we have more chances to talk than me and you do." He shrugs.

"Fair point." Bobby looks at him.

"So how badly do ye want to have kids?" He thinks a moment.

"Honestly, pretty bad. It's something I've always wanted. But I love Hope and I want us to get married one day. What if I don't find someone else that I want to build a future with?" Bobby sighs.

"I mean I don't want to be _that_ person but there is still a chance she could change her mind. I mean I did. I didn't want anything I want now. I didn't want marriage and kids and all that. I didn't even want a girlfriend. But when I met Maizie things changed." Maizie smiles and walks up to him and put her arms around his waist. He smiled and put his arm around her shoulders. "Maybe yer her person. Maybe she'll decide that one day she does want kids but only with ye like I do with Maizie." Oliver smiles at them.

"That's true. He swore he would never settle down and have kids. Now all he talks about is marrying her and having kids." Noah smiles.

"That's true. He was the first out of all the boys to start talking about that." Maizie looked at Noah.

"Really? When was this?"

"It was when you and Elijah made us dinner. That morning after you two said bye so you could go get ready he was watching you walk away and Gary was picking on him talking about he was thinking what your kids would look like. Bobby said he thought about it. Then later at the pool he started telling us what he thinks they'd look like and stuff." Maizie raises her eyebrows and Bobby blushes. Oliver looks at Bobby shocked.

"Wow, never thought I'd hear that." Bobby rolls his eyes.

"Right, well I'm hungry. Who wants a good old fashioned fry up?" He walks into the kitchen and makes everyone breakfast. After breakfast Noah cleans up the kitchen while Maizie starts laundry. Bobby helps Sheila get comfortable and taken care of. While Maizie was in the other room and no one else is around Bobby sits next to her. "Listen, Maw. There's something I want to talk to ye about."

"Okay. What's going on? Everything okay?" He smiles.

"Everything is great. But I kind of want advice. When did Da know he wanted to marry ye?" She raises her eyebrows.

"Well after about a month he said he knew he wanted to marry me. But when he decided he wanted to propose to me he said he just looked at me one day and just knew. He said there was nothing specific that changed it fer him, he just knew." 

"Well, how did he do it? Was it some big romantic thing?" She smiled.

"No it wasn't some big romantic gesture. It was just a sentimental thing. On our first date he took me fer a walk in the park and we stopped at a little café fer lunch. When he proposed we again took that walk and stopped at the café. We did that a lot so I never expected anything. And after we sat down and ate he looked at me and took my hand. He told me that he never thought he could love someone as much as he loved me. He said he wanted to be with me fer the rest of our lives and show me everyday how much he loved me. And he pulled out a ring and asked me to marry him. It wasn't some big fancy dinner or really romantic gesture. But fer me it felt even more special. To me it was the most romantic thing anyone had ever done." Bobby smiled. "Why do ye ask?" She gave him a knowing smile.

"I think ye know why. After losing her I realized I don't want to be without her again. I want to, I'm ready to. I just don't know how. I want it to be really special. I want it to be perfect cause I'm only doing this once. Unless she says no then I'll ask again in a few years." She takes his hand and smiles.

"No matter what ye do, Bobby, if it's special to ye it'll be special to her. As long as ye choose her she'll choose ye. Don't worry about planning the perfect way or words or place or ring. What matters is ye ask her to be the one to stand by ye always." She puts a hand on his cheek. "Just do something that is perfectly Maizie and perfectly Bobby. I know she'll say yes no matter what." He puts his hand on hers.

"Thanks, Maw. Fer everything." Her eyes welled up with tears.

"No, thank ye. Fer being my son. I'm so proud of ye and Olly. Ye both are better than I can ever hope fer. We did alright with ye didn't we? I know ye miss yer Da, but I see him everyday in ye. Yer just like him in so many ways. And ye look just like him too." He blushes.

"People keep telling me that. I hope they're right. I hope I'm even half the man he was."

"Do me a favor. Go to my room and look under my bed. There is a small little brown box under it. Bring it to me." Bobby grabs the box and brings it to her. She opens it carefully and reveals a bunch of stuff inside of it. "This is the first flower he ever gave me. After it wilted I dried it and preserved it. This is the first movie we saw together. This is the receipt from our first date. This is the receipt from the day he proposed. Here look at this. This is the day we met. We were hanging out with some mutual friends and they introduced us. All we did was hang out in the parking lot of a diner but it was the most magical night." Bobby looked at his parents smiling together next to four of their friends. He really did look like his dad. Same eyes, same nose, same lips, same chin, same smile, same jaw shape, same cheek bones. "Oh and here is our wedding day. Look at him, so handsome. And here's our first dance. His niece had gotten jealous I had Uncle Reggie to myself. She wanted us to pick her up." He held the picture of their first dance. His mum was smiling, looking down at a little girl in a pink frilly dress. His Da looked at his mum. He saw that look many times over his childhood. He always looked at her like she was the most beautiful and amazing woman in the world. 

"He always gave ye that look ye know. When ye weren't looking I always saw him look at ye like that."

"Ye give Maizie the same look. I saw it the first day on that show. She laughed at something when ye all were together and ye looked up at her and got that look. That's when I knew ye found the one. She gives ye that look too when ye aren't looking. She has that same look." He blushes.

"I'm really glad ye got to meet her. I'm sorry fer making it so hard."

"I know. Ye were just scared. It may not have been the wisest thing ye did but it was with good intentions." He kissed her cheek.

"I'm gonna keep cleaning up. I never realized how messy Gary was."

"Gary? Honey, that's yer mess." He laughed.

"Thanks fer that. I'm definitely leaving now." He squeezes her hand gently. "Do ye want me to put that up?" She looks at the box in her lap.

"No, I'll look at it a while longer." He gets up and walks towards the hallway. When he turns he sees Noah standing there smiling.

"I'm guessing ye heard that?" He shrugs.

"I didn't want to interrupt. It looked like you were having a sweet moment."

"So do ye think I'm crazy?"

"Not even a little bit. You two are obviously meant to be. Honestly, most of us were surprised you two haven't gotten there yet."

"I just wanted to make sure I'm ready. I mean I didn't feel like I was good enough to marry her, and I still don't, but I know that I want to spend my life with her. Obviously it won't be right now, I need to get a ring." Noah smiles at him.

"It's nice to see you thinking like this. Definitely a change from the man I met in June."

"I was nervous to do that. I let Big Jonno talk me into applying and then I actually got in. I still wasn't gonna go till Olly pretty much pushed me onto the plane. I'm glad I did though."

"I know what you mean. My sister did pretty much the same thing."

"So she doesn't like Hope?"

"She hates Hope. Which makes it really hard for me. I don't think my brother or parents do either, but they've never said anything otherwise. They've been really supportive. My sister has not."

"Is it just the baby thing?"

"She also says Hope is really bossy, she doesn't like that she's so involved in her career, she can't cook, she's loud, she's opinionated, she says she's self-centered, controlling, jealous."

"Wow, so she really really hates her?"

"Pretty much. And she makes it very clear she doesn't like her. I've tried talking to her about it a lot but she still just refuses to try and get along with her. She lives with my parents so just not having her there for family stuff isn't an option really. And I don't want to ruin our relationship, we were always really close."

"What're ye gonna do, mate? It's not sounding like ye have a good chance of a real future together."

"I don't know. I love her, but the longer we're together the more these issues keep coming up and I'm not sure we can make it. Not without some serious sacrifices. Like this kids thing. I feel like I shouldn't have to sacrifice what I want and she shouldn't have to sacrifice what she wants. Which gives us the only option of breaking up. But I really care about her and I want this to work."

"Mate, just talk to her. Tell her all of this and see if ye can figure out what to do. I hope ye can make it work." Noah sighs.

"Thanks, mate. I really missed you, I missed this." Bobby smiled.

"Me too. I'm sorry fer blowing ye off by the way." He shrugs.

"It's okay. I know it wasn't because of me, I mean technically it was. But it was mostly because you weren't ready to talk about Maizie."

"But ye still stuck around anyway."

"Well yeah. You're one of my best friends."

"Yer mine too."

"So does that mean I get to be best man?" Bobby laughs.

"Let me propose first then we can talk bout that stuff."

"Fine but we're coming back to that one."

"We will. I promise. But we need to get back to cleaning or Maizie is gonna get pissed."

"Yeah, don't want to see her mad again. I try to make my presence scarce at that point." They both get back to work cleaning. Together they finished it pretty quickly leaving the rest of the day to hang out and relax. 


	7. The Other Side

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be Maizie's POV on some of the highlights so far.

Maizie opens her door and sees Chelsea and Hope standing there smiling at her.

"Girls!!" She hugs them both tightly. "I missed you two so much! God, I'm so excited we get to spend time together." She quickly grabs her purse and keys and walk out the door. They head to downtown London and start looking through the shops. Chelsea hooks arms with her as they browse through dresses.

"So, how's things with Bobby?"

"Good. This long-distance thing has been really hard though. I only get to talk to him at night and sometimes on his breaks. He seems to be so busy. I'm worried we're growing apart?" Hope looks at her questioningly.

"Growing apart? How?" Maizie shrugs.

"Oh, that's definitely your color, Hope. Anyway, I don't know. When we talk it just feels like he has something else he'd rather be doing. It's not much of a conversation. I keep telling myself everything is fine. I mean Gary told me he says he's still in love with me but I don't know. It just feels different." Chelsea holds her hand.

"I'm positive everything is fine. He is madly in love with you. Does he text you good morning? Good night? He calls you everyday? Then don't worry about it. I mean he is taking care of his mum and working a full time job. He's probably tired."

"That worries me too though. Before the show Oliver said he was overworking himself and started to get in over his head. He made him go on the show pretty much just for the holiday. What if he is doing that again?" Hope sighs.

"I don't know what to tell you, babes. Has he told you about anything that's going on?"

"No, nothing. He always says she's doing great and everything is fine." They stop by a little café for lunch. Chelsea smiles at her.

"Hun, relax. I'm sure everything will be fine." She smiles back at her and looks at the menu. Her mind wanders as she gets lost in thought. _**Is it though? I mean it's been almost two months and each day he says less and less. He may talk to me everyday but there's not much talking. What if he doesn't love me anymore? What if he has a bunch of new girls there that want him and he decided a relationship isn't for him anymore? What if there really is someone else? God, I don't think I could handle it if that was the case.**_ She hears snapping and looks up to see Chelsea and Hope looking at her. "Did you hear me? I asked what you were gonna get."

"Oh, uh, I'm not sure yet."

"So is it safe to assume we can order drinks then? I'm down for a mimosa." Maizie smiles at Chelsea.

"Okay, but one of us needs to stay sober to drive." Hope raises her hand.

"I'll do it. I know you two well enough to know that once you start, you don't stop." Chelsea giggles.

"We're not that bad...but we do know how to have a good time don't we?" Maizie laughs.

"So how is it with you and Henrik?"

"Good, so far. It's hard not seeing each other all the time but I am really starting to like his whole wilderness man thing. It's rugged and sexy. We went camping last weekend." Hope raises her eyebrows.

"Camping? You? Wow, I never thought I'd hear that." Chelsea waves her hands dismissively.

"It wasn't that bad. It was actually kind of romantic. Sitting next to him by the fire, no busy car noise, stars surrounding us. It got colder at night so we snuggled up under a blanket and he made us hot chocolate. And he kept me warm too." She winks at the girls. Maizie squeals and squeezes her hand.

"I knew you two were a good match!" Chelsea blushes as she smiles.

"I do really like him, I think we have a good chance of this becoming something. If it wasn't for Love Island I never would've thought about being with a guy like him. Hannah stealing Elijah definitely worked in my favor." Hope gasps.

"Did you hear they broke up? I hope he is doing okay." Maizie smiles.

"He's fine I'm sure. I think he had a thing for someone else the whole time." They looked at her.

"Who?"

"Not my business to say. We'll hear about it soon enough." They give her a curious look but move on. After they finish their drinks and food they grab their bags and head back to Maizie's place. "Who wants drinks?" Chelsea raises her hand.

"Oh oh, me! Can you make me this one drink. I don't know the name but it has pineapple juice, rum, vodka-"

"Why not come help me, hun?" Chelsea smiles.

"Okay." They get in the kitchen and start getting glasses. "What are you getting you and Hope?"

"I'm having gin and she's having wine." She hears Hope call from the living room.

"Hey Maizie!"

"Yeah?"

"Can you come here for a minute?" She stops pouring drinks.

"What for?"

"I want to show you a picture I just found of what Noah looks like with make up on. His sister convinced him to let her put it on him." She looks at Chelsea shocked. 

"Oh, Chelsea, we've got to see this." She picks up the glasses and quickly walks to the living room. She turns the corner and looks up. Bobby stands there next to Gary and Hope smiling at her. He's wearing a plain gray t shirt and blue jeans, but he's never looked sexier.

"Surprise."

"Oh my god!" She hands Chelsea the drinks and runs over to him and jumps on him, wrapping her legs around him. He squeezes her tightly and she buries her face in his shoulder. Her emotions hit her like a brick and she didn't even try to stop the tears.

"Are ye crying, lass?" She nods. _**God, I missed feeling his arms around me. I missed the way his body wash smells and the warmth of his skin. Please don't be a dream, please don't be a dream.**_ He clears his throat. She hears a sniffle behind her before Chelsea talks.

"You two are just so cute." Bobby hugs her tighter. 

"I take it ye missed me?" She could hear the emotion in his voice. She unwraps her legs and he sets her down. She looks into his eyes and nods. _**I missed looking into those eyes. He's really here right?**_

"More than I even realized I guess. What are you doing here? How? Why? When?" **_Wait a minute...he came here with Gary...and Hope let them in..._** She turns and looks at them and they smile at her. "You two knew about this?!" Gary shrugs.

"We figured it'd be a nice surprise. But thank Oliver. He's the one who called me and set this whole thing up. Well I set up this part but he set up the flight and getting Bobby off work." Hope squeals with excitement.

"Sorry, I couldn't hold in the squeal anymore. Anyway, we knew how much you two missed each other." Chelsea squeals and runs up to Bobby, hugging him.

"Sorry, Maizie. I'll back off in a minute." Maizie laughs and backs up to let them have their moment. Hope shrugs.

"If Chelsea gets to." She runs up and hugs Bobby, he hugs them both back tightly. She smiles and giggles, wiping her nose. Gary comes up to her and hugs her tightly. She squeezes him, trying to show how thankful she is. _**I have the best friends in the world. For them to go through all of this effort? What would I do without them?**_

"You guys, this was so sweet of you. And Olly. I'm going to have to remember to hug him." Maizie squeezed Gary tighter and whispers to him. "Thank you so much, Gary. I'm so lucky to have you as a friend." He squeezes her tighter in reply before he lets go. Maizie turns around and Hope and Chelsea step back again. She hugs him again before pulling his face to hers and kissing him. She sighs happily when he kisses her back. _**Fuck, he's such a good kisser. He'll be lucky if I stop kissing him long enough to do anything else. It's even better than I remember.**_ Someone coughs, making her remember other people were there. They pull apart laughing. She looks at him and notices how tired he looks. He has bags under his eyes and his skin is paler. "You look exhausted. Not just tired but exhausted. Are you doing alright? Is everything okay? Is your mum okay?" He smiles and kisses her forehead.

"I'm okay now."

"There's something you're not telling me." Gary clears his throat.

"Well, we are going to give you two some privacy. You have until tomorrow night when Nan has invited everyone over for dinner. I told her you were going because well she doesn't take no as an answer. So I will see you two tomorrow night." He hugs Bobby and Maizie before walking out the door. Hope and Chelsea hug them both quickly before leaving. Chelsea looks back and winks at them.

"You two have fun. Make sure you use protection." Maizie hugs him again tightly, taking in the feeling of being in his arms again. _**I missed you, I missed this. Everything feels so right again. I feel like I can breathe again. Don't ever let me go, maybe I should just go back with him. Just the thought of being without this again hurts.**_

* * *

Maizie pulls Bobby to her and kisses him, Marisol hops off the counter and wraps her arms around Bobby. She runs her hands across his abs and kisses his shoulder. Bobby pulls back and bites his lip.

"Fek, yer gonna kill me." Maizie pulls Marisol to her and kisses her intensely. Bobby lifts one of Marisol's legs and runs his other hand up Maizie's thigh. Maizie pulls Bobby to her again while Marisol kisses his neck and runs her hands down his body. He unites Maizie's robe and lifts Marisol leg while Maizie unties Marisol's robe. 

"Bruv!" They all stop and look to see Gary standing there. _**What the fuck!?**_ The girls quickly pulls their robes closed and Bobby pulls both of them behind him.

"Gary! What the hell are ye doing just walking in here like that??" Gary covers his eyes.

"I'm sorry but I had to. Oliver called me." Bobby freezes. _**Uh oh.**_ "He said you and Maizie wouldn't answer your phones and he really needed to talk to you. Something about your mum." _**Oh, shit.**_ Bobby turns to them and makes sure they're both covered. He meets Maizie's eyes and she can see the worry in them. He turns and walk to the room leaving her, Marisol and Gary standing in the kitchen. Gary turns and looks at them. He smiles and bites his lip. "Looks like you girls had fun." Maizie and Marisol blush and look at each other. Marisol shrugs.

"We all knew how much I wanted this so I'm not going to even try to hide it. We had a great time last night...I hope we can do it again sometime." She winks at Maizie. She bites her lip and looks back at her.

"I won't say no to that." She stops when she hears Bobby raising his voice. She looks at Gary worriedly. "It's his mum, something's wrong. Gary can I borrow your phone?" He hands it to her and she dials it. After it rings a couple times she's greeted by a woman. "Yes, I need to move a flight for Saturday to today. It's from London to Glasgow. Mhmm. Also I need a second ticket to go with that. Just make it one way for now." She finishes giving information and hands it back to Gary. "I need to go check on him." She looks at Marisol. "I'll be right back." She walks to her room and puts her hand on the doorknob but freezes when she hears him talking.

"Stop it! No! Ye tell me yesterday it's spread and then tell me today that she had a bad night and yer taking her to the hospital then ye think ye can just tell me to stay here and not go home? No, I'm the oldest this should be my responsibility not yers. Ye shouldn't have to be doing everything while I'm here fucking around." She felt her eyes start stinging. _**Fucking around? Him coming her to see me and spending time with me is just fucking around? I can't deal with that right now, something is wrong. I need to stop him from taking whatever it is out on Olly.**_ She opens the door and looks at him. He sighs when he sees her. "Olly...I have to come home. I'll be home sometime today if I can get my flight switched. I'll call ye when I find out." He hangs up and looks at her.

"I know you're just hurting right now so I'm going to put that fucking around comment on the back burner. But I'm not going to stand here and let you take it out on Olly. He is doing the best he can and he's only human. Do not blame him for anything. Get dressed and get your shit packed. I already called the airport." She grabs Marisol's clothes and walks out. A minute later she hugs Marisol good bye as he goes into the bathroom. She goes to her room and gets dressed. She pulls out a bag and starts packing as he walks out of the bathroom. 

"What're ye doing?" _**What does it look like I'm doing?**_

"Packing a bag."

"Fer what?"

"For Scotland." He sighs.

"Maizie, ye can't just pick up and leave." **_Yes the fuck I can._**

"I can to."

"No ye can't. Ye have a job and shit." She looks at him. 

"So what? You think I'm gonna stay here and abandon you when you obviously need someone to keep your grounded and stop you from pushing everyone away?" 

"I'm not doing any of that but yes ye should stay here." _**You literally just did. What does he not want me there, is that why he doesn't want me to go?**_

"You're telling me you don't want me there?" He looks at her trying to figure out what he wanted to say.

"Ye need to stay here."

"Why?" She walked up to him and looked him in the eye. "Tell me why I can't be there?"

"Cause it's up to me to deal with this and I don't want ye to get involved." _**What? That's stupid.**_

"Why the hell not?"

"Cause I said so!"

"That's not a fucking reason! Stop pushing me away."

"No, Maizie. I can't do this right now!" _**What does he mean by that?**_

"Do what?"

"This! This fighting and arguing! I can't do this right now!" Gary raises his voice.

"Bobby!" He looks over at Gary. "Stop taking it out on her." He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"All I'm saying is I don't even know how bad it is and I don't want ye to be there fer that. What if we get there and it's much worse than we all thought?"

"Then _we_ deal with it. I don't say I love you just because. I say I love you because I want to be by your side through everything life throws at us. And rather you want me to or not I'm coming with you. I'm not asking I'm telling. After what I just heard on the phone with Oliver there is no way in hell you can do this alone and you shouldn't. You're not alone anymore." He looks into her eyes.

"This is my responsibility, Maizie. Not yers, not Dean's, not Louis's and not even Olly's. Mine. I need to be the one to do this. Yer not going." _**Stop being so damn stubborn!**_

"You don't get to decide that. It's not up to you."

"Yes it is. My family, my rules. I said no. I don't want ye to be there fer that." _**Only one thing is going to stop me and it won't happen...right?**_

"There's only one way I'm not going."

"Don't make me do it." _**Is he serious right now? Would he really do this to stop me from going? He is that stubborn?**_

"Then don't! Stop being stubborn!" He looks at her for a long time. _**Don't do it. Remember how much you love me.**_ He grabs his bag and turns back to her. When he spoke, he spoke softer this time. He goes to put his hand on her cheek but stops, dropping it to his side. Her eyes started to water. _**Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it. Please don't. You love me, right? If you love me don't do it.**_

"Maizie." His eyes watered. She shook her head. _**Don't. This is hurting you, I can see that. If it hurts then don't do it.**_

"No, Bobby."

"Maizie...it's over. We're done." _**No.**_

"Bobby, you don't mean that. Don't walk away from me." He turned around and walked away. She follows him, tears streaming down her face. He doesn't look at her as he puts his bag in a cab.

"I'm sorry, Maizie. It's over." He gets in the cab and shuts the door.

"Bobby! Bobby! What are you doing?! No!" She felt her chest collapsing, it felt like she had a giant wound where her heart used to be. Gary ran to her side before she collapsed on the ground in tears.

"Maizie, come here. Come on." He picks her up and carries her inside, setting her on the couch. He holds her for what feels like hours while she cries.

"He actually did it. I didn't think he would. I thought he loved me, he said he loved me. He said he'd never do that. He said he'd never hurt me but he did. Please, Gary, let this be a dream." She could hear the pain in his voice.

"I'm so sorry, Zi. I wish it was." He pulls out his phone and sends a text before putting his phone back in his pocket. She manages to stop sobbing by the time her door opens again and Lottie walks in.

"I got your text. What's wrong? What happened?" She sees Maizie and rushes to her side. Hope and Noah walk in right after her. Noah looked at her and looked around.

"What happened? Where's Bobby?" Gary tenses at the sound of his name.

"He fucking left. He broke up with her and fucking left." Everyone stared at him, their mouths hanging open. Hope's eyes water.

"What? He what?" Maizie buries herself further into Gary as the tears fall. His arms around her didn't fix her or fill the hole in her heart, but it did comfort her. Lottie stands furiously and walks to the bedroom, coming back a minute later.

"His stuff is gone, he really did leave. Why? What the hell happened, Gary?" Gary takes a deep breath.

"I don't know the details. All I know is something is wrong with his mum. He was yelling at Olly on the phone, Maizie went in told him to stop and get dressed and pack his bag. He changed in the bathroom came out and saw her packing a bag too. They started arguing about her going. She said there was only one way she wouldn't go. She didn't think he'd do it and neither did I. He broke up with her and walked out of here. He didn't even look back." He held Maizie tighter. _**He said he would never do this, he would never hurt me. Is me being there so bad? I just wanted to support him and love him. We were doing amazing, I thought we were passed this.**_ Noah walks out of the room. Hope goes to the kitchen and brings back a glass of water and a glass of wine. Lottie sits next to her and holds her. The rest of the day is a blur. She feels her silky sheets against her skin. _**Please be a dream, please be a dream, please be a dream. Please still be here with me.**_ She reaches across the bed and feels another person. Her head shoots up to see if it's him...it wasn't. Gary sits next to her, bags under his eyes. She meets his eyes and felt the tears threatening to fall. She manages a whisper.

"It wasn't a dream?" He shakes his head.

"No, luv. I'm sorry." She lays her head back down on the pillow.

"Has anyone heard from him?"

"Lottie did last night." Her head pops up again. She quickly sits up.

"What did he say?" He sighs sadly.

"He said it was what was best. That's it." Any hope she felt at that moment disappeared.

"Do you think he'll call me?"

"I hope so." She curls up to him as the tears fall again. She hears a knock on the door and looks up and sees Lottie with a cuppa in her hands.

"Hey. You're up." 

"Did he sound upset?" Lottie looks at Gary sadly and sighs. Maizie knew what she was trying to ask him. "Tell me the truth, Lottie. Don't lie to me to stop me from hurting more. I don't think it can get any worse than this." Lottie looks at her sadly.

"No...he didn't. He said it was what's best and when I asked for who he told me to drop it. He didn't want to talk about it anymore."

"Did he say how his mum is doing?"

"No. He said he went home to drop his stuff off and get his car and he was about to go. I'm going to try calling him in a bit and see what I can find out." She shakes her head and picks up her phone. "Maizie, give him time."

"I'm texting Olly. He'll tell me how she's doing." She sniffles as she types. After a few minutes her phone goes off. Maizie sighs. "It's spreading to her organs. She has four months left. She won't be doing chemo anymore." She covers her eyes trying not to cry again. She fought them off for a minute or two before they became too overwhelming. Gary wraps his arms around her again. "I never even got to meet her in person. I don't get to hug her or kiss her cheek or hold her hand. I just wanted to meet her. She told me I was a part of the family and she loved me. She said I was an honorary McKenzie." The rest of the day was a blur. All she knew is there was wine.

* * *

The next few days were filled with wine induced comas. One night she saw Alex. He stood there sneering at her.

"I told you you aren't good enough to be loved. No one wants you, not even that wimp baker." She felt a fire burning in her chest.

"I am good enough. He does love me. He's not a wimp."

"Then how come he left you? He dumped you and walked away like it was nothing. Like you're nothing."

"That's not true." She felt tears threatening to break through.

"I told you you were nothing. You'll always be nothing. No one could ever love you, you have too much baggage. You're too clingy and whiney. You're not skinny enough, you're not smart enough or pretty enough. You have no real career, you can't cook right, you can't clean right. Nothing you do makes you worth a damn thing."

"No! That's enough! He loves me, I am enough. He's...he's just hurting right now. He'll come back to me. He loves me." Alex laughs.

"You're dumber than I remember. Looks like you'll always be alone." She awoke with a gasp. Noah was holding her.

"Maizie, hey. Maizie, it's okay. It's alright. It's me Noah." She looked around. She was asleep on the couch with Noah next to her. It was dark outside. She sits up and takes a deep breath, running her hands through her curls. She looked at Noah. His eyes shone with fear and worry. She sighs and stands up. She walks to the kitchen and gets a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. She sits them down on the table.

"You want one?" He looks at her a minute.

"Sure." She pours them both a glass and hands him his. She sits there a while, staring at the reflection of herself in her TV.

"How many days has it been?" 

"A week."

"Has anyone talked to him?"

"Only Lottie."

"What did he say?"

"He refuses to talk about you or his mum." She sits there a while longer before she texts Oliver. He replies within minutes.

"She's home and comfortable. They gave her a bunch meds to help her handle the pain and shit. She looks happier than she has in a long time." She sighs and looks at Noah.

"Was I too clingy? Am I not good enough? Is that why he wouldn't let me love him?" Noah frowns and leans forward taking her hand.

"What? No! I don't know why he wouldn't let you love him. You're amazing. You're so smart, beautiful, funny, you're an amazing cook, you're so sweet and caring, you're loyal and trustworthy, and you accept people for who they are and love them unconditionally. He is a damn fool for walking away from you. Anyone who would leave you is a fool. There's not many women like you, and he was stupid enough to end things. He's gonna realize how stupid he was one day and he's gonna regret it. Don't you dare blame yourself. This isn't your fault. You're amazing in every way and he doesn't realize how damn lucky he is that you chose him." She looks at him for a minute.

"Do you really think all that stuff about me?" He blushes and sighs.

"I do. I think you're all that and more. You're smart and witty and can make anyone laugh. And your laugh is adorable. You have gorgeous eyes and a warm smile. Any man who gets to be with you is the luckiest man in the world." She blushes.

"That's a lot of talk for someone in a relationship." He sighs and doesn't say anything. "I want to talk about anything except Bobby. So I'm going to pour us some more whiskey and we're going to talk about anything but him." He nods. She fills their glasses again and takes a big drink out of hers. "How are things with you and Hope?" He shrugs.

"Good. My sister still hates her. But otherwise we're good."

"You don't look to convinced." He chuckles and takes a sip of his whiskey. After a while she finally felt numb from her feelings, Noah had lightened up. "So yer telling me yer sister actually told Hope that she was a selfish whore and threw a roll at her???" Noah tries not to laugh.

"I told you, my sister hates her. Hope handled it like champ though and my dad pulled my sister to the other room. I half expected Hope to hit her."

"Me too! Why didn't she tell me this?" He shrugs.

"She tends to shut down a lot. I don't know why."

"Like when? She doesn't shut me down much."

"Usually with me, it's when I bring up kids. She shuts down and doesn't talk to me for a while."

"That's stupid. I mean I get she doesn't want them, but she should at least talk to ye about it." He smiled at her.

"I agree."

"I mean yer a great guy. She's lucky she even found a guy that still wants all that. She didn't fall fer someone who didn't, like me." 

"I did though." She points at him.

"That's true. Me and ye...we're on the same page...except Hope is still here." Her thoughts wander back to Bobby. "Am I stupid fer missing him?"

"No, you love him."

"Now that does make me stupid. I fell in love with a guy who didn't want a damn thing I wanted. He said he did and then he left. Cause of his mum. Which I can understand but he hasn't even called. He keeps saying it's what's best. His mum loved me, I always thought I was the type of girl that ye could take home to mum."

"You are though, that's why he's stupid. You're exactly the type all mum's hope their sons bring home. My mum even said you were. So that's proof you are. An actual mum said you are."

"When did she say that?"

"Shortly after I got home. We were talking about the Villa and everyone there. She said she had hoped I'd bring someone like you home."

"Wait, does she not like Hope either?" He shakes his head.

"Nope. Not even a little bit. No one in my family does. I mean mum likes her as a person just not my girlfriend. She said she'd always imagined someone like you." Maizie raises her eyebrows.

"Like me or me?" He blushes.

"I don't remember. But the point is Bobby is stupid." She shrugs.

"I'll let that go fer now. We're coming back to that later." He chuckles and rolls his eyes. The rest of the night is a blur. She wakes up in bed with a pounding headache the next morning. She groans and puts a pillow on her head. Noah groans next to her.

"Maizie, I'm never drinking with you again. You turn into a crazy scot." She smiles and peeks out from under her pillow.

"I warned you the first day we met that happens. If I'm Scottish then I'm drunk." He looks at her.

"I noticed." He sits up and stretches. Lottie walks in and sees them.

"Noah....why are you in your underwear?"

"I always sleep in my underwear...did you forget that from the Villa?" She looks between them. Maizie sits up frowning.

"Do you really think what I think you're thinking? Lottie, I'm fully clothed. If something had happened I definitely would be naked right now. I was too drunk to put on clothes." Noah frowns at her.

"You don't think something happened do you? Do you really think I would one, cheat on Hope. Two, risk messing up not one but two friendships. And three, take advantage of a woman who was clearly to drunk and hurting?" Lottie blushes.

"You're right. I'm sorry." The next two weeks they all take turns spending the night with her. She always argued but they wouldn't ever leave.

* * *

Gary and Lottie come over for dinner Sunday night. Gary crosses his arms.

"Maizie, you have to go back to work."

"I'm not ready. They can survive without me." He sighs.

"Even Sophia?" She freezes. _**I didn't even think about her. Sophia.**_ "Maizie, you are the only other person she can one-hundred percent trust. You're really going to leave her there without you?" She looks at him for a long moment.

"Fine. I'll go." He sighs.

"I know things are hard right now, but hiding out isn't going to help. Go to work, focus on them and helping them." Lottie sighs.

"Finally." Maizie cracks a small smile. "Look! There's a smile! Yes! We're making progress." Maizie rolls her eyes. 

"Alright. I want to talk to you two about something."

"Shoot."

"I think someone needs to go help Bobby." They looked at her confused. "Look, he's an idiot and an ass but he's still your friend and I still love him. So we can't stand here and let him work himself into the ground. Remember how he looked when he came to London? And from Lottie's updates it sounds like he's doing it again. He needs someone there but won't let anyone help him. Someone has to go there and just show up." They look at each other and sigh. Gary shrugs.

"Alright. I'll call Noah real quick." He calls Noah and tells him Maizie's idea. Thankfully he agrees and so does Hope. After they all talked they agreed Lottie would go. Lottie tried for two days to get a hold of him, finally succeeding on Wednesday. Maizie gets a text when she leaves for the airport. She quickly replies and gets back to filing paperwork. A few hours later Maizie is sitting on her couch with more wine. Her phone rings and Lottie's picture appears.

"Hey Maiz."

"Hey Lozza. Did you get there yet? Is he okay? How's Sheila? What about Oliver?"

"Maiz, slow down, babes. Yes I'm here, Sheila looks great, Bobby looks like shit and I haven't seen Oliver yet." Maizie sighs with relief.

"How specifically does he look? Is it his eyes? They tell you everything. They always looked like honey to me." Lottie sighs.

"No, they're dull. He has bags under his eyes and it's obvious he doesn't go outside. I'm not even sure he eats very much, he looks skinnier than usual." Maizie groans.

"Goddamn him. I swear to God I'm gonna fucking kill him. I-"

"Maizie! You're on speaker." Maizie blushes.

"Shit. I'm sorry Maw! Did anyone else happen to hear that?" 

"Yes, Maizie. Bobby heard that. He walked away though after you said you were gonna kill him." Maizie tried to ignore the fluttering in her chest, it quickly faded on it's own when she realized he was there and didn't say anything. **_He really doesn't want to talk to me...._**

"He really doesn't want to talk to me, huh?" She heard Sheila.

"He doesn't talk to anyone. He works and helps me out every waking moment. He won't even go see any of his other friends. He rarely talks at all." Maizie shakes her head.

"Wait what? He breaks up with me, says it was the right thing to do, refuses to talk to anyone and just mopes around? What the fuck is that shit?"

"I'm sorry he hurt ye, honey. If it makes ye feel better I told him he was stupid." She smiles.

"Thanks. Honestly, I'm not sure what's gotten into him. Maybe you two can get to the bottom of this." Lottie speaks this time.

"Anyway, that's not why I called you. So this is what happened. I mentioned how Bobby wasn't talking to any of us and his mum got mad. He said he didn't talk to anyone cause they all wanted to talk about you and he didn't want to. He said I was the only one that never pushed on it. He said he didn't want to be looked at with sad puppy eyes and treated like a baby. I told him he sounded like you when you talked about Alex. Then his mum asked about what happened with Alex and when I went to give her a brief summary Bobby got mad and told me not to. He said it was your story to tell and that I shouldn't say anything. So I called you."

"He is so damn confusing. Does he love me or not? This back and forth shit I'm hearing is making no sense. Anyway, it's okay if you tell Maw. I probably would've told her by now anyway if he hadn't broken up with me to stop me from going there." She hears Sheila again.

"He did what now?" Lottie answered her.

"He didn't tell you why he broke up with her?"

"No, he just said it's what was best."

"Mmm. Well I'll make us some tea and we'll talk all about this. Anyway, I just wanted to make sure it was alright, Maiz. But I'll talk to you later okay? I love you." She smiles sadly.

"Thanks, Lottie. I love you too." She hangs up and looks at her phone. The whole in her chest started to grow again. She pulled her knees to her chest and looked around her flat. **_It's always been physically empty...but now it feels empty too._**

* * *

Gary texted her on his last night in Scotland.

_"Hey, Zi..."_

_"Hey....what's wrong?"_

_"I don't know how to say it."_

_"Just say it."_

_"Basically, I think I started to make progress to show him how stupid he's been. But I just talked to him and he told me....he told me him and Sam snogged."_

_"SAM!!! Like the ex that tried to break us up??"_

_"Yeah, that Sam."_ She doesn't reply to Gary and calls the airport.

"I need a ticket to Scotland for tomorrow October 9th." She finishes giving her information to the woman on the phone before calling Noah.

"Hey, Maiz. What's up?"

"Are you still going tomorrow?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I'm going."

"Wait what?"

"I'm going to Scotland. I'll be damned if I lose him to a whore."

"What the hell are you talking about???"

"I'll explain tomorrow. But I'll meet you at the airport tomorrow."

"Why don't I just come stay the night there and we can go together? I have to go to London anyway."

"True. Okay. Well I'll see you soon then." She texts Gary back.

_"I'm going to Scotland tomorrow with Noah."_

_"WHAT???"_

_"You read that right. I'm going. Don't argue. Discussion is closed. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Night Gaz."_ She sighs and grabs her bag and starts packing. She couldn't stop her hands from shaking. She's startled by a knock on her door. She opens it and let's Noah in. He notices her hands shaking. He immediately drops his bag and takes her hands.

"Hey, what's wrong?" She shakes her head. He gently coaxes her to look up and meet his eyes. "Maizie, I know something is wrong. You don't usually shake." She sighs.

"I'm nervous and scared. What if he tells me to go home? What if he doesn't say anything at all? What if he doesn't want me anymore?" He sighs.

"If he doesn't want you anymore then he's a fool. I really hope he does talk to you and it's not to tell you to go home. But Gary texted me after we talked and told me he seems to be realizing how stupid he is so I don't think he'll tell you to leave."

"Really?" He smiles and nods. She sighs and hugs him tightly. "Thanks for being such a good friend Noah." He hugs her back.

"Of course." The next morning Noah carries their bags inside to get checked. She holds her hands clasped together as she thinks about everything that could happen. When they make it to the gate for their flight Noah looks at her and takes her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "It'll be fine." She smiles and nods, trying to convince herself he was right. They step up and gave the flight attendant their tickets. She smiles at them.

"Romantic holiday?" Noah and Maizie looked at her confused. She raises an eyebrow. "You're holding hands so I assumed you two were a couple." They look down and quickly let go of each others hands, both of them blushing. Maizie shakes her head.

"Actually, we're best friends. We're on our way to visit another.....friend." The word tasted bitter in her mouth. The attendant doesn't say anything else as she hands them their tickets back. Noah guides her to their seats. She immediately picks up the drink menu. He takes it from her.

"Yeah, I've been told to make sure you don't become scot before we land." She raises an eyebrow at him. "Hey, I'm just following orders. I don't mind drunk Maizie. But Gary gave me very specific instructions." She smiles and rolls her eyes. 

"Can I have one or two then? I don't hit scot until I have like five." He smiles.

"Fine. No more than two." After they finally land Oliver is there to pick them up. He beams when he sees Maizie.

"I'm so happy you came! Literally no one knows except us three. Even Maw." She smiles and follows him to the car. They pull up to their flat a little while later. She stares at it. It was a one story flat with dark red bricks and brown roof. The door was blue and there was a big window by it. Noah squeezes her hand again and gives her a reassuring smile. She sighs and gets out of the car and follows Oliver inside. "Maw! Noah is here! And I brought ye something extra special." They walk into the living room. The dining room is fully visible from the living room. There's a hallway to the right just before you get to the dining room. Maw is sitting in the living room. She gasps when she sees Maizie. Oliver helps her stand and she walks up to Maizie and gives her a big hug. Maizie couldn't hide her smile as she hugged her back.

"Oh, honey, I'm so glad I get to finally hug ye! This is such a surprise!"

"It was kind of a last minute thing." They put their bags up and sit in the living room talking to Oliver and Sheila for hours. Maizie felt herself relaxing as she talked to them. Sheila looks at her watch.

"He'll be home in about an hour." Maizie stands, her nervous energy kicking in. 

"Oh boy. Here we go. My god what the hell am I doing? This is crazy right? He broke up with me and he hasn't called. What if he tells me to get out? What if he tells me he doesn't love me anymore? What if he walks in and has Sam with him? What if he says he moved on? What if-" Noah stands and gently takes hold of her shoulders.

"Maizie!" She stops and looks into his eyes. "Stop worrying. If he says any of that or walks in with Sam I know for a fact at least two people will hit him and one will hit him with her fancy cane." Maizie smiles and nods. She hugs Noah again.

"You're right." Sheila sighs.

"Right, well now is about the time I start dinner." Maizie steps towards her.

"Oh, let me do it. I promise I'm a good cook. You look tired, you sit here and rest." Sheila smiles and shakes her head.

"I can do it, yer a guest." Maizie shakes her head.

"I'm an honorary McKenzie which means I'm family. And since I'm family I don't get special treatment. So you sit and I'm going to go start dinner." Sheila beams at her like she's proud of her.

"Okay. Thank you." Maizie heads into the kitchen and starts working on one of Bobby's favorite dinners she made him. Noah helps her in the kitchen. Before long they hear the door.

"Oi, Noah! I didn't know ye cooked, mate!" Her and Noah meet eyes. He holds his finger up to motion for her to be quiet. Maw and Olly sit at the table watching. Noah turns the corner. 

"Bobby! I don't know what Lottie is talking about, you don't look like shit." 

"Thanks, yer the first person to say that in a while." Noah turns the corner again, Bobby's voice is closer this time. She grips the spoon in her hand tightly as she stirs. "So what're ye makin?" She takes a deep breath and answers his question.

"I call it roast and potatoes but I think you call it mince and tatties, maybe meat and tatties?" There's not a sound to be heard for a moment. She takes a deep breath and turns to face him. He's staring at her with confusion. **_He looks better than he did when Oliver sent me those pictures._** "I hope you're hungry, I tend to make too much of this." Noah stands between them with a goofy smile pasted on his face. He turns to Bobby.

"I hope you don't mind, I brought a friend for dinner." He still stood there, not moving, not saying anything. She looks him over. He was skinnier, but the bags were almost gone, his skin wasn't as pale, but his eyes still had no shine in them. They still looked dull. Before her heart tries to leap of joy she reminds herself that him and Sam kissed...again.

"I hope me being here doesn't cause problems between you and Sam." He gives her a weird look. "Don't play dumb. Gary told me you kissed her." He finally talks.

"What?" He doesn't say anything else. _**After all the shit he put me through, all the tears, all the heartache, all he has to say is what? After everything he only says what?**_ She starts walking towards him, her anger building up.

"That's all you have to say? You dump me, run off, don't talk to me for two months, kiss another girl, who happens to be the girl who kept trying to get between us, by the way. And now all you have to say is what? You told me you loved me and then you break my heart cause you're too goddamn stubborn to shut up and let me love you. You are such a-" He pulls her to him and kisses her. His kiss catches her off guard but her body immediately responds. Her mind says to stay mad but her heart and body drown it out. Goosebumps cover her skin from their kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. She pulls away. "You're such a fucking idiot." He smiles.

"I know." He kissed her again, making her lose her train of thought again. He finally pulls away and looks at her. "Maizie." She nods.

"I know. You weren't trying to hurt me. But you ever do that again and I might actually kill you." He smiles.

"Please do." They hear sniffling and he looks over and sees his mum smiling at them with tears streaming down her face. "Maw, what's wrong?"

"That's the first time I've seen a genuine smile from ye since ye came home." He blushes and looks at Maizie. She smiles at him, her dimples showing. He hugs her tightly.

"If this is a dream I swear I'm never waking up." She laughs.

"It's not a dream, I'm actually here." She starts to pull away.

"No, I'm not done yet." She laughs again.

"I'm going to burn dinner if you don't let me go." Olly shouts out to him.

"Let her go dummy. I'm hungry." He smiles and let's her go. She walks back to the stove and walks up behind her and wraps his arms around her.

"Am I going to have to cook with you on me the whole time?"

"I mean I have to go take a shower so no, but after that ye probably won't get rid of me." She smiles. _**Everything feels right again...I guess I can forgive and we can talk about the rest later. But he kissed me...he missed me. He thinks me being here is a dream. He really does love me.**_

* * *

Maizie smiles, lost in thought while she folds laundry. She felt happier than she had in the past two and a half months. Everything was right in her world again. She walks by and sees Maw sitting alone on her bed. She knocks softly on the door.

"May I come in?" Maw turns and smiles at her.

"Absolutely, honey." She pats next to her on the bed. She smiles and sits next to her.

"Are you okay? Do you need me to do anything?"

"No, I've just been reminiscing is all. I've been thinking about a lot of things I've accomplished in life. I've lived a very full and happy life and I'm thankful I got to make it far enough to see this. No matter what I don't have any regrets."

"That's how it should be. I'm happy I get to spend this time with you too. Being here with you and Olly and Bobby...it makes me feel very grateful. Grateful I found all of you." Sheila wipes her wipes her eyes and sniffles.

"Look at us getting all emotional." Maizie sees some pictures next to her.

"What are these?"

"These are pictures from my life. Here is one the day I met Bobby's father, Reggie. Here is when we were dating, at the beach, on our wedding day, when the boys were little." Maizie took them one by one and looked at them carefully. She saw the familiar eyes, nose, jaw, cheekbones, almost everything.

"Bobby really does look like his dad." Sheila smiles proudly.

"He sure does. He acts like him too. His dad is the one that taught him magic tricks."

"I should've guessed." She looks at the picture of their wedding day. She sees the way he's looking at her when she isn't paying attention. _**I**_ _ **hope we have that.**_

"Bobby looks at ye that way, ye know. Every time ye aren't looking he looks at ye like that." Maizie blushes.

"I really hope we can have the relationship you and his dad had." She holds hand.

"Ye already do. I want to show ye something." She reaches into her bedside table and pulls out a blue box. She opens it and reveals a sparkling round cut diamond with smaller diamonds on the silver band. There was a matching wedding band tucked inside with it. She gasps at how beautifully it shined in the light.

"It's gorgeous. Is this the ring his dad gave you?" She smiles.

"It is. These rings were his mum's rings."

"She had very good taste then because they're stunning." Sheila smiles and looks at Maizie. They're interrupted by Bobby calling gout to her. 

"Lass, I think I messed up the laundry." Sheila and Maizie laugh.

"I better go rescue him. Let's hope it's fixable." Sheila smiles fondly.

"I'm gonna take a nap , I'll see ye all at dinner."

"Okay. Call us if you need us, sleep good Maw." She kisses her cheek and walks out of the room to rescue Bobby's laundry disaster.


	8. Curveball

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is back to Bobby's POV.

The past three weeks of Bobby's life have been amazing. He got to sleep next to her every night and wake up with her every morning. He was really glad their friends were still coming to help out. He felt bad that Maizie, cleaned, cooked, did her own job and helped with Maw while he was at work all day. This week Chelsea was helping them out. Thanks to her job as a interior designer she was extra organized. Their home never looked better. She even decorated for Halloween. Maizie sat on the couch with Maw while Chelsea was out running errands. Bobby leaned against the doorway watching them talk about their plans for Halloween the next day. _**I love seeing them together so much. But Maw gets worse each day, it's already been three months.**_ Oliver stood next to him and sighs.

"Ye chose a good one, Bobby. She's sweet, pretty, caring, she can cook and Maw adores her. She might even love her more than us." Bobby chuckles.

"Ye might be right....that's what worries me though. They already have such a strong bond, like they've known each other their whole lives. When Maw's time comes Maizie is gonna be crushed."

"Maybe that's not such a bad thing though." Bobby looks at him funny. _**Maizie getting hurt is a good thing? Since when?**_

"Ye better be goin somewhere with this."

"I am. Maizie has spent every possible moment with her, getting to know her, sharing stories with her, bonding with her. It's gonna hurt like hell but only cause she grew to love her so much. Which is a good thing. She won't have any regrets now. She'll miss her like crazy but she'll have so many memories to look back on." Bobby sighs.

"That's true. I just wish she didn't have to feel anymore pain. She's been through enough."

"Well, ye can't stop that. But ye can help her through it. Ye'll have each other to help get through it. And both of ye have so many people to turn to. All yer friends here and in London. Maizie's family, me." Bobby looks at him and smiles.

"I guess having ye around isn't _so_ bad."

"Thanks, it's nice to feel loved once in a while." He said it jokingly but he could tell something was up. 

"How's things with Ainsley?" He shrugs.

"Dinnae ken. We still talk all the time but we haven't seen each other in so long. I keep wondering when she's gonna break up with me"

"That won't happen." Bobby tries to hide his smile. Oliver eyes him suspiciously.

"What makes ye say that?" Bobby shrugs.

"Dinnae ken. Just don't think it'll happen." Just then Chelsea walks into the house, she stops and looks at Oliver.

"Sorry it took so long. I had to pick up a few things." She steps aside and let's Ainsley in. Oliver's jaw drops.

"How?" Ainsley raises eyebrows and looks at Bobby. Maizie beams at him.

"You did this?" He nods. Maizie runs up to her.

"Ainsley!" She gives her a quick hug and steps aside for Olly. Maizie walks up to him and wraps her arms around his waist.

"I can't believe you did this for him. You are so sweet." He smiles and hugs her. They pull apart and look at Oliver and Ainsley, who are attached at their lips. Bobby blushes and looks away.

"Is this how we make him feel when we snog?" Maizie laughs.

"Well, we're about to return the feeling." She pulls him by his shirt to her and kisses him. He puts a hand in her hair and the other on her back as he pulls her closer. They pull away after a minute, making him smile. "I love you."

"I love ye too, lass."

"Aww. I wish I had a little brother...or sister." They look at Chelsea confused.

"Uh, where are ye goin with this?"

"So they could date one your siblings. Then we could double date!" Maizie smiles.

"We're out of siblings, love. But maybe one of Noah's?" 

"Yes! I love his family, ugh they're so sweet." Maizie runs up to Ainsley.

"Sorry, Olly. I'm stealing my sister back for a minute." She hugs Ainsley tightly. "Ugh, I missed you so much Ains."

"I missed you too, Zi. Stop leaving me already!" She smiles at her. Maizie squeals and grabs Ainsley's hand.

"Come meet Maw!" She pulls her over to Sheila sitting on the couch. Ainsley hugs her.

"I'm so happy to finally meet you in person."

"I'm happy to finally meet ye. Olly talks about ye all the time." Maizie leans over.

"He really does." Oliver blushes. Chelsea claps her hands.

"Alright you lot. Let's make some tea or bust out the gin or something! This is a happy occasion!" Maizie smiles.

"Agreed." She hooks arms with Chelsea and Ainsley as they go to the kitchen. Bobby and Oliver sit down next to each other. He looks at Olly.

"Surprised?" Oliver smiles and nods.

"I am. I really appreciate this." Bobby shrugs.

"Ye've made it where I could see Maizie...more than once. It was the least I could do. I know ye both missed each other and ye've been looking kind of down." Oliver sighs.

"I guess yer an alright brother." Bobby laughs and ruffles Oliver's hair.

"I was thinking the same thing." Sheila smiles at them.

"Look at my lads gettin along." The girls come back with drinks and hand them out to everyone. Maizie sits next to Bobby and Ainsley sits with Oliver. They caught up on everything they've missed in the past few weeks. Ainsley told them all about how school has been going for her. Bobby looked around at everyone together, it made him happy. Maizie snuggled into him, looking into his eyes. Her eyes always made his heart beat faster. He gently stroked a dimple lightly with his thumb. They didn't say a word but knew exactly what they were saying to each other. Chelsea gets Maizie's attention, ending the wordless conversation. He looked up and saw his mum watching them. She looked the happiest he had ever seen. Before long it was time for bed. While Maizie took a shower Bobby helped his mum get settled. 

"Bobby, do ye remember my rings?" He thinks a moment.

"Yer wedding rings? Aye. Ye stopped wearing them when ye got sick." He went back to getting her her medicine.

"I lost too much weight and they didn't fit anymore. Anyway, I showed them to Maizie the other day."

"Yeah?" He hands them to her with some water.

"She said she loved them..." She gave him a knowing smile. "And she loved that they were yer Da's mum's." He smiled as he began adjusting the duvet.

"She loves traditional stuff. She's looking forward to spending the holidays here. She's really excited about Halloween tomorrow and Christmas. I told her all about the family traditions we do."

"Christmas is my favorite. It'll be coming soon. It's almost November." He nods as he fluffs her pillows.

"Trust me, she reminds me all the time. Winter is her favorite season." Sheila chuckles.

"Mine too. But in the off-chance I don't make it to the holidays, I want to give ye something." She pulls out the box with her rings and hands it to him. He frowns and sits down.

"Ye want to give me yer wedding rings?" She nods.

"I think Maizie would like to have them. And I want her to have them." He shakes his head and holds them out to her.

"Maw, yer not gone yet. Don't start giving stuff away. I'm not ready to face this yet."

"I thought ye wanted to propose."

"I do. I meant I'm not ready fer ye to go." She puts a hand on his cheek.

"No one ever is. But life is unpredictable, so take advantage of the good when it's here." He swallows hard trying not to cry. "She has Da's ring and ye have mine. I think that's a sign." He smiles.

"I'm trying to figure out how to do it still."

"Better hurry up before like throws ye down a different path."

"I'm taking her with me wherever it leads me or I won't follow that path. I'm not going without her ever again. When she's not here it feels like I'm missing a part of me."

"Cause ye are. She has become yer other half and yer hers." He hugs her. 

"I love ye, Maw."

"I love ye too, son." He hears the shower stop.

"I better go hide this before she comes out." He kisses her cheek. "Thank ye, Maw. Fer everything." He gets up and goes to Oliver's room and knocks. He hears giggling before Oliver opens the door.

"Not a good time, mate."

"I need ye to hide something. But don't tell anyone about it. And I mean don't tell _anyone._ " Oliver gives him a weird look.

"Okay...what is it?" Bobby holds up the ring box. "Is that Maw's?" He nods.

"She gave it to me...fer Maizie." He blushes as he says it. Oliver smiles.

"Yer gonna propose??" 

"Not yet. I mean yes but I haven't figured out how I want to do it. But I need to hide that. Yer room is the only room she doesn't go into. And ye have to swear Ainsley to secrecy too." Olly takes the box and hugs Bobby.

"Of course, mate. I'll keep it safe. Just tell me when." He pats his shoulder before going to his room. He sits down on the bed just as Maizie walks in.

"Have a nice shower?" She bites her lip.

"Would've been better with you in there." She walks up to him and runs her hands along his shoulders. He bites his lip.

"I love it when ye talk like that." She leans down and kisses him. She sits on his lap, straddling him. He runs his hands down her back to her bum and squeezes. "I also love that." She giggles.

"You pervert. You're obsessed with my bum."

"What? It drives me crazy." He bites his lip as he squeezes it again. She kisses him again, wrapping her arms around his neck. She digs her nails into his back, making him moan. "That's it. Ye asked fer it." He rolls over and lays her down, getting on top of her. He pins her hands above her head and starts kissing her neck. He takes his time exploring her body, moving down little by little. He pulls her shorts and panties off and trails his kisses down each of her thighs, making goosebumps cover her skin. He finally puts his mouth on her between her legs, making her moan and arch her back.

"Fuck." He takes his time, going slowly. He slowly picks up the speed and puts two fingers in her. She bites her lips and covers her mouth, trying to keep quiet. He finally stops teasing her and she climaxes. He gets up and lays next to her. She immediately gets on him and stars kissing his neck, moving down his body. She pulls off his pants and puts him in her mouth. She moves him in her mouth slowly, swirling her tongue along the tip, licking up and down the shaft. He moves her hair out of her face. She moves faster, looking up at him. It doesn't take long for him to release in her mouth. She slowly takes him out of her mouth and winks at him. She trails kisses back up his body to his neck. He smiles and wraps his arms around her.

"Slow down, lass. We've got all night." He turns them so he's on top of her. He kisses her neck and reaches between her legs, putting his fingers in her again. She digs her nails into his back.

"I swear I can't get enough of you." He looks into her eyes and bites his lip. He leans down and kisses her before positioning himself between her legs. He pulls away slowly and looks into her eyes. She lays a hand on his cheek. "I love you." He smiles at her.

"I love ye too, lass." She smiles and brings his face to hers kissing him again. He slowly thrusts into her, making her moan against their kiss. He can feel their souls connecting, their hearts beating in rhythm. Their kisses became more urgent, their movements and moans became more passionate. She dug her nails into his back harder, she bit his shoulder to stop from screaming his name. She finally comes, so does he right after her. For a minute they lay there kissing, enjoying the closeness they feel. He lays down next to her and she cuddles into him. She looks into his eyes.

"Sometimes it feels like this is a dream and I'm going to wake up any minute. Being here with you everyday and getting to do this every night." He tucks a curl behind her ear.

"Me too, lass. I love coming home and seeing ye. Doing all the normal things we couldn't do in the Villa. I've never been this happy with someone." 

"Me too...do you ever feel like...things are going too good? Like everything is going so well that you just know something is around the corner that's going to change everything." He sighs.

"Aye. I've been thinking that too. It scares me not knowing what it'll be."

"Me too. But at least we know it won't be us...right?" She looked at him nervously. He rubs his thumb against her cheek gently.

"Right. It's not gonna be us, lass. I'm gonna try not to be that stupid again." She smiles and cuddles into him closer. Eventually they drift off to sleep. The next day Leanna and Shaun walk in the door as Bobby is helping Maw to her chair. He smiles at them both as Maizie walks up to them.

"Hey! What're you two doing here? I thought we wouldn't see you two until later for Halloween." She hugs them both. Leanna holds up a guitar case and nods towards Bobby.

"Bobby said ye can play bass and as a fellow bass player I have to hear ye." Maizie blushes.

"It's been a very long time since I played." Chelsea stares at her shocked.

"You can play the bass???" Shaun shrugs.

"So? We don't mind. Ye'll get it back once ye start playing." She smiles at them and sighs.

"Alright, alright. I'll give it a shot." She takes the case and sits down on the couch. It takes her a minute to get everything ready and comfortable. She sighs and puts her fingers to the strings and starts playing the first song that comes to mind. Bobby watches her play with amazement. She looks so at peace like she does when she draws or reads. But it's different somehow. He listens to the song, recognizing it from her many different taste in music. After she gets done she looks around embarrassed and clears her throat. "I'm a bit out of practice." Leanna and Shaun stare at her shocked. Leanna shakes her head.

"If that's ye out of practice I can't imagine how ye play when ye practice." Shaun nods.

"Definitely didn't see that coming." She smiles and looks at Bobby.

"Face Down by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus." She blushes.

"Yeah, that was the first thing that came to mind. I, uh, used to connect to it." He nods.

"I thought so. Play another one." She looks around.

"Oh, I don't know." Chelsea beams at her.

"Yes! Please!?" Sheila smiles.

"Please? Fer me?" Maizie rolls her eyes and smiles at her.

"You're gonna play that card, Maw?" She sighs. "Alright, one more." She thinks a moment and looks at Bobby. "Let's see if you can get this one." She starts playing another song. He recognizes it almost immediately. Ainsley and Oliver come into the room and watch her play. When she finishes she looks at Bobby.

"Scars by Papa Roach." She smiles.

"Correct." Shaun looks at her confused.

"Ye know, I never took ye fer the type of music." She shrugs.

"I listen to a song because either the lyrics or the rhythm speak to me. I don't have a specific type of music. But my playlist does have a lot more alternative rock than anything." Leanna smiles and looks at Bobby.

"What?"

"Why don't ye both play a song?" Chelsea looks at Bobby confused.

"Wait, you both play instruments?" Bobby shakes his head.

"Nope." Sheila swats his arm.

"That's a great idea! Help me up, I wanna see." Oliver walks over and helps her up as they walk to Bobby's room where his drums are. He sits down and looks at Maizie.

"What song, lass?" She thinks a minute.

"Still worth fighting for?" He smiles.

"Ye gonna sing?" She shakes her head quickly.

"Ohhhh no. Maizie doesn't sing in front of people." Chelsea stares at her wide-eyed.

"You sing too? How come I'm just now finding all this stuff about you two?" Bobby smiles and looks back at Maizie.

"It's better with vocals though and ye have an amazing voice." She shakes her head again. Sheila smiles sweetly at her.

"Please, honey?" Maizie sighs.

"Fine, but no one judge. You're lucky I love you, Maw." She starts off the song, Bobby joining in a few seconds later. She looks at him while they're playing smiling. He couldn't stop smiling either. He loved watching her play. _**She looks so in her element and free.**_ When they finished everyone clapped for them, making them both blush. Shaun nods approvingly.

"So he managed to find a lass that can match him on music too." Bobby and Maizie look at each other. Ainsley beamed at Maizie.

"You used to play all the time what happened? What happened to the bass mum and pop bought you?" Maizie's smile slowly fades as she looks down. She clears her throat.

"It got broken a couple years ago." She looks at Bobby. _**By Alex...**_ Ainsley just looks at her confused.

"How? You protected that thing with your life." Chelsea clears her throat.

"Ainsley..." Maizie keeps looking into Bobby's eyes.

"It was either that or me." Ainsley's face falls. For a moment no one says anything. Leanna clears her throat.

"When I turned eighteen I met this guy, Eddie. Fer probably about the first year everything was great. He was sweet and caring. He got along with all my friends and family. And then he slowly started to fight with me more and getting more and more angry. He became abusive. I couldn't escape fer three years. And this one finally helped me out of it." She looks at Bobby gratefully. "If it wasn't fer him I wouldn't have made it out of there." Maizie smiles gently and looks at Leanna.

"My mum once told me 'Life's a bitch, it tries to knock you down every chance it has. But it doesn't realize your unbreakable.' I didn't know it then or even believe it but that always stuck with me." Leanna smiles.

"Yer mum sounds like a wise woman." Maizie looks at Ainsley, smiling.

"She's strong too. The women in our family tend be stronger than we look." Oliver smiles and takes Ainsley's hand. Bobby looks into Maizie's eyes, making him smile.

"Sometimes they're stronger than they even know." Maizie blushes and clears her throat.

"Right, that's enough heavy stuff. Let's get something to eat." They head to the living room as Maizie and Bobby go to the kitchen. He wraps his arms around her from behind.

"Ye look so gorgeous when ye play." She blushes.

"You look like you bare your soul when you play. Like it's a part of you. You look so...free." 

"I guess we have that in common too." He kisses her cheek. Ainsley walks in and clears her throat.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't know he broke that too...though I should've guessed since you hardly have anything in your flat anymore. I should've caught on when you said it was a couple years ago." Maizie walks up to her and hugs her tightly.

"Babes, it's okay. I'm okay, we're okay. No apology needed." Ainsley hugs her back tightly. Bobby keeps working on getting something to eat, letting them have their moment. After Ainsley goes back to everyone else Maizie hugs Bobby's from behind. He turns around and pulls her into his arms. She sighs as her body relaxes into his. "Sometimes, I forget it happened. And then I remember and I think 'I was almost there. I almost forgot about him.' And then it just reminds me that I don't think I'll ever be free." He gently lifts her face to look at him.

"Lass, ye can't hide from yer past. And ye shouldn't. Yer past is what makes ye who ye are. Ye take yer past, the good and the bad, and accept that it created who ye are. What happened was horrible, but cause of it ye became even stronger than ye thought possible. Ye became this incredible caring, accepting, loving person. Remembering what ye've been through doesn't mean he controls ye anymore. Yer free, ye just have to let yerself be free." She smiles at him and looks into his eyes.

"You're so amazing. I got really lucky to find you." He smiles and leans down and kisses her.

"I'm the lucky one." They spend the day laughing during their spooky activities. They didn't get to do everything they normally do because his mum wasn't feeling up to it and he refused to leave her behind. Ainsley looked like she was a part of the family already. Bobby saw the look Oliver gave her when she wasn't looking. Bobby couldn't hide his smile. _**He's found her.**_ He looked at his mum, she met his eyes and nodded. He looked back at Ainsley and Oliver and saw the look they shared. _**He loves her. He's fallen in love with her.**_ Maizie looked at them and looked back at Bobby with an eyebrow raised. He smiles and nods. After Leanna and Shaun leave Bobby walks up to Maizie. "Hey, lass. Wanna go somewhere with me?" She looks at him confused.

"Where? What about Maw?"

"Olly, Ainsley and Chelsea are here. She'll be alright. But I wanna take ye to my favorite spot." She smiles.

"Okay. Does this require an outfit change?" He looks at her outfit. She's wearing black skinny jeans and a baseball tee-shirt with a Harry Potter quote on it.

"No, just shoes ye can walk in." She kisses him.

"Okay. I'll be back in a second then." She heads towards their room, coming back out a couple minutes later with her favorite green jacket and black beanie with a fuzzy ball on top. A few minutes later they arrive to Linn Park. "We've been here though."

"Not the part we're going." He opens her door and takes her hand. As they walk she turns to him.

"So it looks like Ains and Olly seem to be getting pretty serious."

"Ye so ye saw the look they shared, huh?" She smiles and nods. "I think he's actually falling in love with her. That's never happened before. And he's tried, unlike me. He wanted all that." Maizie thinks a moment.

"I think she might be falling for him too. She's never really had a serious boyfriend. They never work out for one reason or another." 

"Same with Olly. I've never seen him look at a lass the way he looks at her." He goes off the normal path and leads her through trees. 

"Where are we going?" 

"It's a surprise, I told ye." They twist and turn around trees. "This isn't really a secret path, but most people just take the normal path. I like goin this way though cause it gives ye a different view, but I've never gone here with anyone. When I want to be alone and need time to think and clear my head I come here. Yer the first person I've come here with." She smiles.

"I'm honored then." They reach a break in the forest that looks onto the waterfall. Her jaw drops when she sees it. Snow covered the ground, making everything look elegantly pure, the sound of the waterfall echoed, they were completely alone. "How does snow make everything look more beautiful?" He looked at her and smiled. She meets his eyes. "Am I really the first person to come here with you?" He nods and takes her hands in his, weaving their fingers together.

"Aye. This always just felt like a place I could come to be alone. I didn't want to share it with anyone. But I want to share everything with ye, even here. When I left London, I felt like I left part of me behind. Being away from ye and not talking to ye...it hurt me. I kept telling myself it was right but it always felt wrong. And then when I saw ye at home I knew I never wanted to go without ye again. Ye mean everything to me and I don't care what life brings as long as I have ye there with me, we can make it. I want to spend the rest of my life with ye, lass. It might seem crazy right now, but I don't wanna wait anymore." Her eyes shone with affection as he looked into them. He kneels down and pulls out the little blue box. Her hands go to her mouth as she realizes what's going on. She starts crying as he opens the box and takes her hand. "Maizie Marie Blackwood, will ye marry me?" She takes her hand away and beams at him, tears streaming down her face.

"Yes! Of course I will, yes!" He puts the engagement ring on her finger. As soon as he's done she hugs him with so much force she knocks them both over, making him laugh. She lays on him and showers him with kisses. He looks into her eyes, his heart pounding.

"We're gonna get married." She smiles and kisses him softly.

"Took you long enough to ask. I love you did it on Halloween though." He chuckles and kisses her again. Everything felt perfect. His phone rings, making them pull apart. She sits up and pulls him up as he pulls it out of his pocket and answers it.

"Olly?" 

"Bobby. Get to the hospital now."

"What's wrong?"

"I'll explain when ye get there. Maw is on her way there in an ambulance. We're following behind them now."

"We'll be there soon." He stands up and holds his hand out for Maizie. She looks at him nervously, he squeezes her hand. "There's that curveball we were waiting on." They quickly walk back to the car and meet them at the hospital. Maizie clings to him, holding his hand the whole time. They see Ainsley and Chelsea waiting in the waiting room for them. "What happened?" Ainsley starts crying, Chelsea puts an arm around her and clears her throat.

"We were just sitting there chatting when she started coughing. It started off with some blood, like last time. But then more and more started coming out. She...it...it was a lot. We called an ambulance and she passed out while they were there." Bobby looks down at the ground and Maizie squeezes his hand. He looks at her with tears in his eyes. She looks back at them.

"Where is she now?" 

"They immediately took her up to surgery. Olly went to see if he could fine out anything." He wraps his arms around Maizie and holds onto her tightly. Olly comes back a few minutes later.

"They don't know exactly what's bleeding yet, but they're in surgery now. They'll update us as soon as they can. That's all I could get." He looks at Bobby sadly. They all sit down with each other, holding hands. Bobby sees the doctor approaching him, his grip on Maizie's hand tightens. "Dr. Rhodes...how is she?" He looks at them all a minute, clearing his throat.

"She has blood in her lungs....I don't know how long she's been bleeding but it was a lot. We got the bleeding to stop but....it's spread to her heart now. It's moving quickly. She doesn't have much time. Maybe a few days, it's hard to tell." His eyes start to water, closes them and clears his throat again. "I'm sorry. I wish I had better news. She's heavily sedated right now, but she should wake up in a couple hours. Would ye like me to take ye to her room?" Bobby looks at Maizie and she nods, looking back at the doctor.

"Yes, please. We want to be there when she wakes up." He leads them to her room and they pile in and get comfortable. Maizie cuddles into Bobby, Chelsea holds Bobby's other hand, Olly and Ainsley cuddle together. None of them say anything for a while. Maizie gets a text and looks at her phone. "It's Lottie. She wanted to check on us."

"Did ye tell her?"

"No. I haven't talked to anyone. Has anyone else?" They all shake their heads. "Do you want me to tell them what's going on?" He thinks a minute.

"Yeah, they'd wanna know." She quickly replies to Lottie and updates her on everything going on with Sheila. She doesn't get a text back. After two hours she still wasn't awake. The nurse looks at them. 

"Sometimes it can take a little longer. We'll just have to wait and see." Bobby leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees. He holds his hands together in front of him, the tears start streaming down his face. Maizie wraps her arms around him, tightly. After another two hours they look up to the door opening and see Lottie, Gary, Hope, Noah and Rahim standing there. Bobby looks at them confused.

"What're ye all doing here?" Lottie walks up to him and hugs him.

"I told you we're here for you, babes. You're stuck with us." They all take turns hugging each other. Maizie pulls Bobby aside and whispers to him.

"I think we should hold off on telling anyone about us until after this. I think we should focus on Maw right now and I don't want to take away from it." He smiles.

"I agree. Do ye want me to hold onto it?" She sighs and nods.

"You'll give it back right?" He leans down and kisses her.

"Of course I'll give my _fiancé_ her ring back." She blushes.

"I like the sound of that." She takes it off and hands it to him. "I love you."

"I love ye too, lass." They turn back to the others. "So, Lozza, how'd ye know something was wrong?"

"My tea leaves this morning said something bad was going to happen. It's been telling me that all week. I had a feeling it was something to do with you two." They all get comfortable, taking turns sitting. Finally, an hour after everyone arrived Sheila wakes up. Bobby and Oliver run to her side and hold her hands. She looks at them, tears in her eyes. Bobby looks at Maizie and she nods.

"I'll go tell the doctor she's awake." Bobby looks at Gary, he nods and follows Maizie out of the room. Bobby looks back at his mum and smiles, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Hey, Maw. Ye gave us quite a scare there. Maizie and Gary went to find Dr. Rhodes, they'll be right back. But look who's here." She looks around and sees everyone standing there. "Louis and Dean are working right now so they can't be here, Leanna didn't answer her phone and Shaun is out of town. But these guys showed up fer ye." She squeezes their hands. A minute later the doctor comes in with two nurses and Gary and Maizie on his heels. He looks around surprised at everyone in there, he smiles.

"Ye look like ye have quite the support team, Sheila. Are these some of yer adopted kids?" She nods. He walks up to her and checks her over, checking her heart rate, her pupils, her brain activity. He sighs and looks at her. "Do ye want them around while we talk?" She looks a minute before shaking her head. Bobby squeezes her hand and smiles. He turns to everyone.

"Alright ye lot. Let's give her some privacy. Gary I know yer hungry so we'll show ye were to find the snack machine." Everyone piles out of the room. After what felt like an eternity Dr. Rhodes approaches Bobby.

"She wants to talk to ye and Maizie privately. We took out her breathing tube fer now but I don't know how long she can go without it. But she insisted on taking it out." Maizie squeezes Bobby's hand.

"Thank you, Dr. Rhodes....for everything." He smiles sadly and walks away. Maizie turns to everyone else. "She wants to see us two first and then we'll see what she wants to do next. We'll be back soon." They turn and walk into her room. She smiles at them as they walk up on either side of her bed and take her hands. Her voice sounds hoarse and she can only talk quietly.

"Don't look so sad. We all knew this was coming." They nod and give her sad smiles. She turns to Maizie. "I want to thank ye." Maizie frowns.

"For what?"

"Fer loving him and teaching him what love is. He's changed so much since ye came around and fer the better. Seeing how happy ye make him makes me happy. I'm glad I got to meet the lass that showed him what love is supposed to be like." Maizie starts crying.

"Don't thank me. I should be thank you. You brought him into this world so I could meet him and you raised him to be someone worth loving. You're why he turned out the way he did, not me. And you accepted me into your family with open arms. Even when we weren't together you still treated me like a daughter. And I love you like my own mum. So thank you, for everything." Sheila squeezes her hand and looks at Bobby. He was already crying from watching Maizie and Sheila talk. Sheila sighs softly.

"I am so proud of ye, I love ye so much. Ye've become such an incredible man, yer Da would be proud of ye too. I'm so happy ye found love and someone worth loving. Ye chose an amazing woman. Yer perfect fer each other so hold onto her. Don't let her go again, they don't come long that often. Love her and cherish her like yer Da did me. I'm glad I got to see ye two together. I only wish I could see ye two get engaged and married, have kids, get a flat of yer own. I wish I could see the life ye'll build together." Maizie and Bobby look at each other. Maizie smiles at him and nods. He looks at the ring around her neck and takes out Maizie's ring. He looks at Sheila.

"Ye said it was a sign and yer right. We're already engaged..." Sheila cries tears of joy as she looks at them. Bobby's heart thumped loudly as he looked back at Maizie. "Ye ready fer this, lass? Everyone will know." She nods again and smiles.

"I want them to know I'm serious about spending my life with you. I don't want to be an honorary McKenzie anymore. I want to be a McKenzie." Sheila takes both of their hands and squeezes them as she smiles at them, tears flowing down her cheeks.


	9. The Darkest Day

They spent a three weeks in the hospital with Sheila. The doctors and nurses took pity on the entire group seeing how many people loved her. Some of Bobby's coworkers came to visit, all his friends, Olly's friends and coworkers visited, some of Sheila's friends and old coworkers came to see her. They all took turns staying at the hospital, making sure at least one person from the Villa stayed with her. They switched out who stayed, who visited and who went home to shower. She passed away on November 21st with Bobby, Ainsley, Maizie and Oliver standing by her side in their couples. Everyone else waited at their homes. They all four held hands, comforting each other. After they took care of everything they needed to they went home. There they're greeted by their closest friends. Bobby looked around at all the faces standing before him. Everyone from Love Island, Louis and Dean, Leanna and Ashleigh, Shaun even Big Jonno. Oliver's closest friends were there too. Even as sad as he felt it helped knowing they had so many people there to support them. Their house was full to max occupancy. People slept on the floors and air mattresses. No one wanted to leave them. Bobby couldn't even try to contain his emotions as he looked around. He felt hot tears trickle down his cheek. Maizie looked at him, tears flowing down her face, and placed a hand gently on his cheek.

"It feels good to know we have so many people surrounding us that loved her and us." He smiles and nods. "We'll make it through this as long as we have each other." He nods and puts a hand on hers.

"We still haven't put yer ring back on." She smiled and held out her hand. He took the ring out and put it back on her finger, kissing it.

"We can't forget yours." She takes the necklace from around her neck and puts it around his neck. He smiles.

"I'm yers and yer mine." She smiled back at him.

"I'm yours and you're mine." He kisses her softly, tasting the saltiness from their sadness. That night he laid in bed for what felt like forever, without sleep. He looked over at Maizie, asleep next to him, before gently got up and walked into the living room. He walked over to Gary and whispered quietly. 

"Gary, wake up, bruv." Gary sits up and looks around before seeing Bobby.

"What time is it?" 

"Late. Listen, I've gotta go somewhere. Keep an eye on Maizie for me."

"Okay. Where are you going? It's the middle of the night." Gary looks at him worriedly. Bobby looks down a second, feeling his eyes starting to water. 

"I just need to go somewhere. I'll be back soon." Gary sighs.

"At least take someone with you." Bobby shakes his head.

"Nah, I'll be alright. I just...need to go somewhere." 

"Bobby, I'm not letting you out of this house alone. Your new family is in that room asleep and she needs you. I can't risk something happening and no one being there. Pick me or Noah." Bobby sighs.

"I need ye here in case she wakes up. Yer the only other person besides me that knows her like I do." Gary nods and reaches across Lottie and nudges Noah. He looks at Gary confused. Gary whispers quietly.

"Noah, get up and go with Bobby." Noah sits up and rubs his eyes.

"Where?"

"Just do it. Please."

"Alright, give me a second." He stretches and stands up and quickly gets dressed. In the car Noah looks at Bobby. "Are you doing alright, mate?" Bobby doesn't say anything he just nods. Noah doesn't push anymore. He pulls up to a cemetery. He sits there a minute just staring out at the place in front of him. He gets up and walks out of the car and goes in. He finds the name he's looking for and sits on the bench in front of it. He leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees and just stares, tears silently falling. It's a few minutes before Noah comes and sits by him. He doesn't say anything, he just sits next to him. Bobby clears his throat.

"When Da died Maw bought two places fer when she went too. She said she wanted to be by his side like she was when he was alive. I never understood that. It was weird to me to think that ye love someone so much ye think about things like that. I don't like coming here cause I saw both of their names. I didn't want to think bout when I lost her too. I didn't want to think about when I almost lost her. After Da, she was depressed fer months. She managed to do normal things but fer the longest time she didn't smile, she didn't laugh. She just existed. One day I had fergotten some homework fer school and when I got back home and called fer her she didn't answer. I found her in the bathroom unconscious with an empty bottle of pills next to her." He looked at Noah. "The only people that know that is me and our neighbor and Maw. We didn't tell Olly about it cause we didn't want him to worry or be scared. She said that after she woke up and saw me sitting next to her, she saw the look on my face and immediately felt ashamed. She said that she fergot that even though Da wasn't here anymore, he left two pieces of him behind so she had someone else to love until they could be together again." For a long moment they sit there next to each other. Noah clears his throat.

"Back when I was a teenager, I had a dark phase. My cousin passed away from a car accident and for a long time, I couldn't see the light. It felt like no matter how hard I tried to crawl out of the hole the deeper it got. Everyday I woke up with a goal to feel anything and every night I went to sleep knowing I failed. I stopped talking to people, I pulled away from my own family. My parents started fighting all the time...because of me. They didn't know what to do about me and it was starting to tear them apart. When I realized I was ruining my family because of the hole I was in...I tried to commit suicide too. Obviously I didn't succeed. But for a long time, even after that, I couldn't see the light. Losing him hurt so deeply I never thought I'd make it. He was my best friend, my older brother. We did literally everything together, we saw each other every single day. So losing him was like losing a part of me."

"How did ye get out of it?"

"My family. I realized my brother and sister were looking up to me like I looked up to him. I almost put them through what I went through. I almost made them lose me because all I could think about was me losing him. That was my wake up call. That's when I realized I needed to do something. After a lot of therapy I realized it was okay to feel sad and to hurt from losing him. But I still had to move forward because he would want that. Eventually, it got easier to do. But it was a long time before I felt alive again." Bobby looked at Noah, silent tears sparkling in the dim moonlight.

"Do ye still feel like there's a piece missing?" He looks back at him.

"Yeah. I don't think anything will ever fill that hole. No one can replace him. For a long time I didn't even try to make new friends or become close to my old ones again. I didn't want to. I've been going on doing my own thing by myself. Until Love Island...until I met you lot. You're the first people I really let into my life again. And since we became friends it got easier. It's still there, but now it doesn't hurt as bad." Bobby smiles.

"Yer my best friend too. It's actually tied between ye and Lottie. But ye know, who cares. Don't tell anyone else, especially Louis, but yer above him. But don't tell him that he'll throw a bitch fit." Noah smiles at him.

"I'll keep your secret, it's safe with me." Bobby looks back at the tombstone. "What was his favorite thing to do with you?"

"Teach me jokes. I learned everything I know from him." 

"Oh, so I got your dad to thank for all the awful jokes you make?" Bobby laughs.

"They're not that bad. Maizie likes them."

"She laughs because she loves you, not because they're funny."

"That's rude." Noah laughs.

"Which parent was the laid back one?"

"Oh, definitely Da. Maw was strict as a kid. She was still really sweet and loving though. But any time I got in trouble she'd be yelling at me and then my Da would come in and wink at me. Then he'd walk up to Maw and start doing something stupid to make her laugh. Once she laughed she wasn't so strict." 

"What was the craziest thing you got in trouble for that he got you out of?" Bobby thinks a minute.

"That's a hard one, I've done a lot of stupid things." Noah rolled his eyes.

"Really? I hadn't noticed." Bobby smiles and gently pushes him.

"Alright, come off it. I'd say it's probably that time that I pushed this privy, ye know the portable ones they have at like fairs and stuff, and Olly was in it...it rolled down the hill." Noah busted out laughing.

"Aw, mate. No way."

"I swear, ask Olly. He'll talk about it fer hours."

"How the hell did he get you out of that one?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. Maw almost killed me when I did that. I've never seen her so red." 

"Okay, tell me the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of your dad."

"His smile. He was always smiling, joking around, goofing off. He always played games with us and helped us play pranks on each other. We had a lot of laughs growing up."

"Now what is the first thing you think of when you think of your mum?"

"Her laugh. I loved hearing her laugh. I don't know why but it always made me feel safer when I heard it. She laughed a lot when Da was around." 

"How are you feeling now?" Bobby thinks a moment.

"Better actually. Like I can make it."

"This is what you do when you miss them. When it starts hurting think of the laughter and the love and the horrible jokes. Hold those memories close. Talking about them doesn't make you weak or fragile. Feeling the pain doesn't make you any less of a man. Let yourself feel all of it so that you can grow from it. Talking about them hurts at first, but over time it gets easier to think of the happy times. Take the memories you have and use them throughout life. Just because they're not here anymore doesn't mean they left you without anything to get you through life. Think about it and you'll realize how much wisdom they actually left you." Bobby smiles at Noah.

"Thanks, mate. Fer everything. Fer being my best friend and coming out here tonight."

"I'll always be here for you, Bobby. You're my family now. Our one big dysfunctional misfit family." They sit there a while longer in comfortable silence. Before long, Bobby saw the sun coming up.

"We better go before everyone wakes up and freaks out." They get up and make their way back home. The next week is filled with a flurry of arrangements. Everyone had gotten hotel rooms to make room for Bobby's family from Jamaica to come in for the funeral. His grandparents and cousin came to stay with them. Before they arrived Bobby watched Maizie fluff and re-fluff the couch cushions, straighten and restraighten the table cloth, dust and re-dust the lamps. Bobby smiled and took her hand. "Lass, relax. They're just family. They've been here before."

"But this time they're meeting me. I'm meeting them for the first time. I want to make a good impression. I mean I'm a part of this family now and it's important that they like me." He puts a hand on her cheek.

"They'll love ye, lass. Anyone who meets ye does." She smiles and kisses him. The doorbell rings and she freezes, her eyes wide open. He chuckles and kisses her again. "Come on." He takes her hand and leads her towards the door. His grandparents stood there smiling at him. They looked the same as last time. His grandpa stood just as tall as him with gray dreadlocks and soft blue eyes. Next to him stood his grandma at shoulder height to his grandpa and him. She had black hair with gray streaks through it and light brown eyes. Behind them stood his cousin Atalia. She was two years younger than Bobby. She had short black hair and brown eyes and freckles. She had grandpa's cheekbones and grandma's full lips. Bobby smiles when he sees them. He let's them in from the cold. He gives them each a hug. "Bout time! Been waitin long enough." His grandma rolls her eyes.

"Hush you. We're right on time." Bobby turns and smiles. He walks up to Maizie and takes her hand, weaving their fingers together. He tucks a curl behind her ear and looks into her eyes. He loved seeing the affection that always shined in them.

"This is my fiancé, Maizie. Lass, this is Seanmhair, Seanair and Aayla." Maizie smiles and looks at everyone. 

"It's so nice to meet you all. I've heard a lot about everyone." Seanair walks up to her and hugs her. 

"It's so nice to meet you, sweetheart. Sheila talked a lot about you. What do you call your grandparents?"

"Oh, uh, I don't have grandparents. Except my best friend Gary's nan. I call her Nan."

"Well call me whatever you like. Seanair is just what Bobby calls me. It's some scot thing for grandpa. If something else is easier for you to remember then by all means. You're our granddaughter now." Maizie beams at him.

"Thank you, that's very sweet of you." Seanmhair smiled gently and nodded at her. Aayla steps forward and hugs Maizie.

"Hey! I talked to you on the phone, but it's nice to see you in person. I love your name, what is it?" Maizie blushes.

"It's Scottish."

"But I thought you were from London?" 

"I am. I was born here in Scotland and then when I was eight we moved to London."

"So do you live here now?"

"Uh, not yet. I'm going to but I have a couple things to wrap up in London. I just made the trip down here for now so that I could be here for Bobby, Olly and Maw. Speaking of Olly though, I'm going to go call him and see if they're on their way back yet. They should be on their way home soon. Excuse me for a moment." She turns and goes into their room. Bobby turns around and looks back at everyone.

"Right, so let's get ye all settled." After everyone puts their bags up they sit in the living room. Maizie brings them all tea. Seanair clears his throat and looks at Maizie.

"So, Maizie, what do you do?" She smiles.

"I'm a charity worker. I teach a lot of classes and tutor kids and we help a lot of underprivileged families." Aayla leans forward.

"So did you go to university?"

"Uh, yes. I majored child education and music." Seanair smiles.

"You a big music fan like Bobby? He was in a band you know." She smiles.

"Yes, I've met his band mates. But music is one of the things we bond over." Bobby smiles and looks at her.

"She plays the bass. Leanna and Shaun convinced her to play one day. She's really good and she can sing too." Maizie blushes.

"I'm not that good." Aayla looks at her like she's trying to get a read of her.

"So what else do you do? Like for fun?"

"I like to paint, draw and read."

"She's really good at those too." Maizie blushes again, she gently nudges Bobby.

"Laying it on a little thick, aren't you? I'm really not that good, he just seems to think I am for some reason." He shrugs. 

"I think yer the best at everything." Her cheeks turn redder.

"You melt." Oliver and Ainsley walk into the house and smile at everyone. Ainsley looks at Maizie.

"Hey, Zi. Hi everyone." Maizie stands and hugs Ainsley.

"This is my sister, Ainsley. She is also Oliver's girlfriend. This is Aayla, Papa and....." She looks at Bobby. "How do you say it?" Bobby smiles.

"Seanmhair."

"Right, that." Oliver looks at Maizie, amused.

"Papa?" Maizie blushes.

"It's hard for me to say the thing you call him and he said I could call him whatever was easiest for me. We don't have grandparents so I didn't know what to call him and it just kind of came out." Papa smiled and stood.

"I love it. You can call me Papa too, Ainsley. It's nice to meet you, sweetheart." Ainsley smiled.

"It's nice to meet you too." Maizie got Olly and Ainsley tea and sat down with everyone. Bobby and Olly got the mood lightened up with their normal shenanigans. A little while later Bobby was walking by Maw's room and saw Maizie talking to Seanmhair. He stood by the doorway to listen.

"I know nothing I say will make it any easier for you, I can't even pretend to imagine the pain you feel when you bury your child. But maybe you would like to hear what she meant to us and our friends." She doesn't say anything. "So we have this friend, Lottie, she's a goth. She acts really tough and can have a bit of an attitude. She has a soft side, but she doesn't let it show often...even to her boyfriend. But with Maw, she didn't hide that side and she still held onto her goth image. A lot of people are thrown off by her but Maw didn't even bat an eye. Noah works in a library and he came to stay with us for a week. During that week he said more to Maw than he did with us the first two weeks in the Villa. She brought him out of his shell without even trying. Gary is your normal everyday handy man of a bloke. But she managed to teach him how to do his own laundry. His Nan always did that for him. And house work is always really hard for him and he's stubborn so teaching him anything takes a lot of patience." Seanmhair chuckled at that one.

"Hope is the leader figure you could say. She always takes charge of any situation. But with Maw she didn't dare argue because she knew Maw had the last word. She was never scary or mean to us but she just gave off this confidence. And to me...she was probably the most important woman in my life. I'm obligated to say my mum is, but we weren't close until I became an adult. But Maw, she accepted everything about me and our friends. She took me in and treated me like a daughter from the start and never made me feel any different. So combined that tells you she was accepting, encouraging, patient, confident and the greatest mum in the world. She left a huge imprint on all of us. The waiting room was filled with all our friends. We took shifts going home and showering and changing clothes. She had probably about fifty adopted kids. The day she passed we came home to a house completely full with a ton of people who loved her so much they turned to each other for comfort. Our house was filled with people that loved her deeply. We even made new friends too. So not only did she helps us turn to each other, she brought all of us together. I will always love her and cherish every moment I spent with her for the rest of my life. And one day I'm going to tell our kids all about her to make sure they know who she is." Seanmhair sniffles. 

"You two want to have kids?"

"Yes, at least two. I want a boy and a girl, he doesn't really care what they are as long as their healthy. We like the names James and Benjamin for a boy and Isabella and Leanna for a girl. Our plan is in the next five years we want at least one...I want at least two in the next five years." 

"You know my father's name was Benjamin."

"I did not know that. Was he a good man?"

"One of the best I knew."

"Then it sounds like our future son will be Benjamin. I'm a sucker for sentimental things." 

"What did she say about your relationship?" 

"She fully supported us. She said when she saw the look on his face when he first saw me she knew I was the one. And then when we started dating she helped us through our arguments and didn't take sides. When Bobby broke up with me she was furious with him. But she eventually stopped being so mad and started to worry about him. She saw that we were each others other half and when we weren't together we weren't complete. She said the way we were with each other reminded her of her and her husband. When we told her about the engagement she told us to always remember in marriage, things are almost never easy. But when you choose to marry someone you vow to love them even when loving them is hard. Every day you wake up with them you have two choices. One choice-"

"Makes it bloom like a flower. The other choice makes it wilt and die. You wake up and either choose to love them or choose not to love them. But you both have to choose to love each other or it won't last. I told her that when she got engaged to Reggie." She looked at Maizie and smiled. "Word for word too. I didn't think she was listening."

"I heard a lot about you from her. She told me what it was like when she was growing up, your home in Jamaica, your marriage. I'm sure there's other things she said that came from you. Like, uh, oh! It's okay to go to bed angry, as long as they know you love them no matter what. And, uh, oh my favorite. When life gives you lemons, fuck the lemonade. Throw that shit and grab the rum." Seanmhair laughed.

"Yes, those were mine too. I told her they were my words of wisdom. I didn't think she ever listened to me."

"That's how kids are though. Even if we act like we don't hear you, we do. Because we know one day those words of wisdom are going to be what gets us through our troubles. And I would say with the kind of mum she was she learned a whole lot from you." Bobby smiles to himself and walks away, leaving them to talk. He finds his grandpa sitting on the back porch, smoking out of his pipe.

"Thought I might find ye out here." He looks up at him and smiles.

"Come sit with me grandson." Bobby sits next to him. "How're you doing? And don't lie to me."

"I'm doing okay. I mean it still feels weird not having her here and I miss her. But Maizie and I talk about her a lot. Which helps."

"They got pretty close, huh?"

"Aye. I tried like hell to stop it, but they're both stubborn."

"Why'd you try to stop it?" He sighs.

"Maizie has always been hurt one way or another. I knew her and Maw would get along perfectly. But I also knew Maizie would get attached and the more attached she got the more it'd hurt. I didn't want her to hurt anymore. I even broke up with Maizie, which turns out was really stupid, to try and stop her from getting hurt. She got tired of waiting on me so she came here. I come home from work and she's in the kitchen making dinner. And that day on her and Maw were inseparable. They spent almost every minute together. I'd always come home and Maizie would be cooking dinner and Maw would be at the table talking to her. Sometimes she'd be in the kitchen telling her how to cook one of my favorite meals. I'd turn the corner and they'd be chatting on the couch or she'd be sitting on her bed with her talking. Maw treated her like her own daughter. Maizie barely left the hospital, she didn't want to be away from her side fer more than an hour. I think Maizie loves her more than her own mum, but don't tell anyone that." Papa chuckles.

"I won't tell. It sounds like you're a lucky man. You really love this girl?"

"More than anything. I knew from the moment we met I did. Well, I didn't know it was love but I knew it was something. Being with her...it feels like a dream sometimes. She's everything I could ever want in a partner. She's smart, strong, confident, sweet, caring, loving, affectionate, passionate, talented. When I broke up with her it damn near killed me. I felt like I was missing a part of me. Everyday that I didn't talk to her or see her it just felt empty. She makes everything brighter. I love everything about her, even when she's pissed. But I've figured out if I blow raspberries on her cheek, she stops being mad." Papa laughs.

"You're just like your father. He used to do the same thing with your mother."

"That's where I got the idea." They're quiet a moment. 

"Well congratulations. I'm glad you found someone to settle down with. I hope you two have a long and happy marriage." Bobby smiles.

"Thanks...I hope so too." Bobby stands up. "I'm freezing to death and they'll be wondering where we ran off to." Papa follows him inside. The next day Bobby is standing in front of the mirror in his room trying to do his tie. "Fek!" Maizie smiles and walks up to him.

"Here, babe. Let me show you." She shows him step by step what to do. "I can't believe it's been a week already." He looks into her eyes, seeing the pain in them. She straightens out his collar and dusts off his shoulder. He puts on his dress coat and looks in the mirror. She bites her lip. "Oh my. I've never seen you wear anything so.....I love your style but this is like James Bond or something." He smiles as she runs her hands across his chest and looks into his eyes. "This does something for me...I can't wait to take this off of you later." He bites his lip.

"I didn't like it till ye said that. But have ye seen yerself?" She wore a form fitting plain black dress with black stockings and black heels. "That dress hugs yer body in all the right places." He leans down and starts kissing her neck, a moan escaping her. He runs his hands up and down her body. She pulls his face to hers and kisses him, her hands wrapping around his neck. She loosens his tie and unbuttons the first few buttons of his shirt. She pulled back and looked at him, biting her lip.

"Fuck you look so hot." He kisses her again as she runs her hands inside his shirt and across his chest. He pulls up her dress and grabs her ass.

"This is gonna have to be a quick one, lass." She quickly unbuttons his pants and pulls them down part of the way. He picks her up and pins her against the wall. He moves her panties aside and thrust into her. "Fuck, Bobby." She bites her lip trying to stay quiet. Her nails dig into his chest, making him moan.

"Fek, lass." It's rough and passionate. She climaxes quickly, making him lose control over the pressure. He thrusts into her again, hard, coming. For a minute he stands there, holding her against the wall. His breathing rapid, his heart pounding. He looks into her eyes. "I swear ye drive me crazy." She smiles, breathing just as hard. 

"Well it's a good thing you drive me just as crazy." He kisses her softly before he sets her down. She pulls down her dress and clears her throat. She looks at him as he fixes his pants and bites her lip again. "I really need to stop looking at you right now. Your shirt undone, your tie loosened..." He raises his eyebrows and bites his lip. She groans softly. "Don't make that face either."

"I think I'm gonna start wearing suits now. I mean I love this side of ye, lass." She blushes and clears her throat. She starts buttoning his shirt again.

"We need to get ready though." She focuses on his tie next, fixing it. After a minute she looks up at him, her eyes already shining with tears. "I just realized what we're about to do. I don't think I'm ready." His heart broke for her. He gently touches her cheek and wipes a tear away with his thumb.

"Neither am I. But it's time we do this so we can all start to move forward. We can't stay in this part ferever." She nods sadly and hugs him. She pulls away and smiles, her cheeks soaked from tears. 

"I'm glad I didn't wear makeup otherwise your shirt would be ruined." He looked at the spot on his shirt and smiled.

"I wouldn't care either way." He kisses her softly and wiped her face. "Let's go." He takes her hand, they both cling to each other like they're afraid to let go. In the living room his grandparents, cousin, Olly and Ainsley wait for them. He looks around at everyone, grief apparent in their expressions. He doesn't say anything as he heads for the door leading everyone out. They held a beautiful service where many, many people came to say their goodbyes. The gang from the Villa, all their friends, all of his mum's friends. They easily had at least fifty people attend. He didn't even try to pretend like he wasn't crying. Him and Olly both spoke in her honor along with a couple others. Maizie and Ainsley stood by them the whole time, holding their hands. As they lowered her casket Maizie held hands with Gary, who held Lottie's hand, who held Hope's hand, who held Noah's hand, who held Rahim's hand, who held Chelsea's hand, who held Priya's hand. He looked down the line of people all standing in a row beside him. He looked to his other side where Olly stood beside him, Ainsley holding his hand. She did the same with Olly's friends. Afterwards, one by one people gave them their condolences as they left. After everyone, except their closest friends and family, had left they went back home. He looked around at everyone, feeling grateful so many people loved her so much. His grandparents and cousin were going home that day. Maizie sighed and looked at them.

"Are you sure you'll be okay? It's a long flight." They smile and nodded.

"We really need to go home now. We managed to get here but we have a lot of other things back home that need taken care of." She hugged his grandpa tightly.

"I'll miss you, Papa." He cleared his throat.

"I'll miss you too, sweetheart." She turned to his grandma and hugged her.

"Be safe, Nana. Call me if you need me, okay?" She nods.

"I will, dear. Only if you promise to do the same."

"Of course I will." She turns to his cousin and hugs her.

"I'll miss you too. Tell your parents I said hi and hope to meet them soon." She nods but couldn't speak, tears pouring down her cheeks. Bobby hugs his grandpa.

"Call me when ye land, alright?" He nods.

"I will, Bobby. You take care of her...she's a good one. And take care of yourself too." Bobby smiles.

"I will." He hugged his grandma.

"I love you, Bobby. Hopefully, we'll see you this summer. Maybe Maizie can get you to fatten up a bit, you're skin and bones." He chuckled.

"I love ye too. We'll definitely make that a priority fer this summer. And trust me, she's been trying." He hugged his cousin.

"Tell yer parents I miss them. And when they apologize fer the thousandth time tell them I said to stop it, we understand." She nods. Olly and Ainsley say their goodbyes before they leave. Bobby turns and looks at everyone. "So we're getting drunk, right?" He looks at Maizie and wiggles his eyebrows. "Time to make the scot in ye come out, lass." She smiles and rolls her eyes.

"Let's do this then." After a couple hours the atmosphere lightened up a lot. Bobby was talking to Gary when he looked over and saw Maizie talking to Noah, she had a serious look on her face. Gary followed his gaze.

"What's going on there?"

"Dinnae ken...should one of us go over there?" Gary thinks a minute.

"I'm gonna go with no. She'll tell us when she's ready." He sighs and turns back around. Priya and Chelsea run up to him and start talking to him about something and pugs? He didn't pay much attention. Gary walks up a few minutes later. "Sorry to interrupt. Uh, Maizie went to the porch...I think you need to go talk to her. Take a coat for her, she didn't put one on." Bobby nods and pats his shoulder.

"Thanks, mate. Excuse me ladies." He grabs his and Maizie's coat and heads out there. "Ye alright, lass?" She doesn't say anything. He walks up to her and puts her coat around her shoulders. He sees the tears on her face and takes her hand. "Hey, what's goin on? Are ye okay?" She just stares in front of her. "Maizie, I'm starting to worry. What's going on?" She sighs and starts sobbing. He pulls her into his arms and holds her. After a minute she pulls away shaking her head.

"No. Don't do that." He looks at her confused.

"Why not?" She shakes her head and covers her face.

"I need to tell you something." They hear the door.

"Maizie." Noah is standing there looking at them. "Maizie please." Bobby looks between them.

"Please what? What's going on?" He looks at Maizie's face and she starts crying again. He looks at Noah and he avoids his eyes. It felt like the his lungs collapsed and his heart shattered. "What the hell happened between ye? I know something is goin on and I want to know what...now." They stood there in silence for what seemed like forever.


	10. Falling Apart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit's about to hit the fan. You've been warned.

"Bobby...just know that I love you." He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. He finally looks up at her.

"Did ye cheat on me?" He looked at Noah. "Did ye sleep with my wife?" He looked between them and neither of them said anything. "I need a goddamn answer now. One of ye say something." Maizie sighs.

"Bobby..." Noah takes a step towards her.

"Maizie...please." Bobby looks at Noah angrily.

"No, fek off. I want to know. I have a right to know." He looks back at Maizie. "What? What happened?" Noah frowned at him.

"Don't tell me to fuck off. This involves my life too." 

"Really? Then I guess ye should've thought about that." He looks back at Maizie. "Maizie...tell me what it is. Did ye cheat on me?" She looked at the ground, his voice broke when he talked. "Please tell me it didn't happen. Please tell me ye didn't sleep with him." She clears her throat.

"Remember when you broke up with me?"

"Aye."

"Remember how they all took turns staying with me?" 

"Don't tell me ye slept together." Tears start streaming down her face as she keeps looking at the ground.

"I woke up in the middle of the night from a bad dream. I was hurt and scared and angry. I couldn't go back to sleep just yet so I got out some whiskey. Noah was the one that stayed with me that night." Noah sighs and rubs his face.

"Maizie, please don't."

"At first all I remembered was us sitting on the couch talking. The next morning we woke up in my room. He was in his underwear but he always sleeps in his underwear, I was fully dressed. I didn't remember anything after the couch, I assumed nothing happened." Tears started streaming down his face. "Noah came and talked to me a few minutes ago and told me what he started remembering. At first I thought he was being funny and then it started coming back to me." Bobby turns around and walks away a few steps. He sighs and rubs his face. 

"So ye slept together?" He looked at Noah. "When did ye remember all of this?" Noah sighs and looks at him. "Do not tell me ye looked me in the eye and called me yer best friend when ye knew ye slept with my wife." 

"I didn't think it would do any good. And you two weren't together then...I didn't think it mattered. We were drunk, she was hurt, I was...I don't know. Things have already been difficult with Hope. I guess I just got caught up in the moment."

"Caught up in the moment? That's what yer goin with? That's yer excuse fer sleeping with the woman I love? Ye know how much she means to me. Ye knew since day one of the Villa she was the only one I wanted. What made ye think sleeping with her was a good idea?? Why the fek would ye do this to me??"

"I didn't try to do this to hurt you or anyone else. Things just got carried away and we just...it just happened. This wasn't planned." 

"What the fek was the point of even telling her about this? Especially, tonight? We just buried my mum! Ye stood there next to me and told me ye were my friend. Were ye trying to get her to leave me fer ye?"

"No!" Maizie sighs and sniffles.

"Bobby, it's not like that. There's nothing romantic between us." He looked at her angrily.

"Are ye feking serious right now?? Ye tell me ye had sex with my best friend and expect me to think there's nothing else going on here? And what about Hope? I know she doesn't know any of this, she would've said something." Noah sighs.

"That's why I tried to stop Maizie from telling you....I don't...I don't want Hope to know. I love her."

"Bullshit! Ye cheated on her! Don't tell me ye love her when ye slept with the woman I love when ye were supposed to be loyal to Hope." He looks back at Maizie. "Broken up or not....I stayed loyal to ye. Ye knew where my heart was even if ye questioned it. And ye said ye still loved me. Ye came back to me. And ye tell me all these things and...and...my mum....Maw......I let ye in, lass. I thought ye....ye couldn't....or wouldn't.....I thought it was me or no one...." She starts crying again. 

"I'm so sorry. I know it sounds stupid and cliché but it was all the whiskey. I was drunk, I didn't mean it. I don't love him, I don't want to be with him, I don't want anything with him. You're the only one I want." She walked up towards Bobby, he stepped back and shook his head.

"No. Fek that. Fek this....this..." He sighed and tried to calm the pounding in his ears. "Fek this shit." He walks by Noah and Maizie and goes inside. He pushes past the others and makes it to the door before Gary stops him. Maizie calls out to him.

"Bobby, wait!" Gary looks between them.

"Bobby, what's going on?" He looks at Gary for a long moment. He looks up and sees Hope looking at him. He looks at the back door and see Noah and Maizie standing there together.

"Are ye gonna tell them or am I?" Noah shakes his head.

"Bobby." Maizie looks at him, tears shining in her eyes.

"Bobby, please."

"Got it." He looked back at everyone. "When Maizie and I broke up Noah and Maizie had sex." He looked at Hope. "And he tried to hide from ye. He didn't want to tell ye. I'm getting the hell out of here, do ye want to come?" Hope looks at Noah and Maizie furiously. Angry tears start pouring down her face. 

"Are you fucking serious right now? You cheated on me? With my best friend?" Noah looked down, shame filling his expression. "Noah fucking look at me. You just told me how much you loved me and you slept with my best friend? Speaking of best friends what kind of friend sleeps with her best friends boyfriend?? Especially when you're supposed to be in love with someone else. How could you two do this to me? After everything I've done for both of you. And how could you sleep with the woman your best friend loved? And is now engaged to?" Noah walks towards.

"Hope, please. I was drunk, we were drunk. I swear it meant nothing."

"Oh that's what you're going with? It meant nothing."

"It didn't. I love you not her. I want you not her." He takes her hand but she snatches it away.

"Don't fucking touch me. I can't even look at you right now. I gave you everything I had, we moved in together. We were talking about getting married we started looking at rings! And you fucking cheat on me??? Am I not enough? Is it because she wants kids and I don't?" Noah looks down at the ground. No one else says anything. She turns to Bobby and grabs her jacket. "There we go. Now at least I have an answer. Let's go. Fuck this shit." He looks back at Maizie.

"Exactly my thoughts." He walked out the door and got in the car with Hope. "We're goin to a mate's flat. Him and his husband will be there." She doesn't say anything. After they arrive at Louis and Dean's they sit there in the car for what feels like forever. Hope burst into tears.

"How could he do this to me? To us? She was my best friend and he was yours." He hugs her, crying.

"Dinnae ken. I'm sorry." After a few moments she calms down enough to walk. Louis answers the door in his robe. He looked at Bobby worriedly.

"Bobby...Hope...what are ye doing here? I thought ye were at home...." He looks at their faces. "What's wrong?" Bobby sighs.

"Her boyfriend cheated on her...with Maizie when we broke up....and we both just found out tonight." Louis steps aside and let's them in. He comes back with three wine glasses and a bottle of wine. He pours himself one.

"Do either of ye want one?" Hope nods but Bobby shakes his head. 

"I need something a lot stronger." Louis pours Hope's glass and got up, coming back in a minute later with spirits. He pours Bobby a glass. Louis doesn't push on either of them to talk. He just sits there and drinks his wine, waiting for them to talk. Bobby sighed and put his head in his hands. "Am I stupid? I get that technically we were broken up but...I was devastated and I thought she was too. She's always told me I'm the only one she wants and then she sleeps with one of my best friends. It would be different if it was some random person. I mean I'd still be pissed but at least it would be someone who probably had no idea I existed. Noah knew all about me and Maizie. He knew. I thought he was someone I could trust." Louis puts his hand on Bobby's.

"Ye have the right to feel betrayed. Yer trust was betrayed by two people ye put yer faith into. Both of ye are valid to feel what ye feel right now. Ye've both been hurt by the same people." Hope shakes her head.

"We were talking about getting married. If kids were that big of a deal then he shouldn't have asked me about us getting married. He shouldn't have asked me to move in with him. He should've broken up with me in the Villa if it was that big of a deal." Bobby takes her hand and squeezes it. She leans on him and just cries. Louis finishes his wine.

"I'll give ye both some space. Bobby knows where everything is. Goodnight." After he leaves he shows Hope to the guest bedroom.

"Ye can sleep in here. I'll be downstairs if ye need me." He lays on the couch for what feels like an eternity, sleep evading him. Eventually morning comes. He takes a cuppa upstairs to Hope. 

"Morning." She doesn't say anything as she stares at the wall, her eyes puffy from crying. He sits down the cup on the table next to the bed. "What do ye want to do?" She thinks a minute.

"Go home." He nods.

"Alright. I'll go get yer stuff and come back to pick ye up. Call the airport to change yer flight." She hands him the key to the hotel room and texts the name and room number to him. He sighs and looks at her. "I'm sorry ye have to go through this." She looks at him.

"I'm sorry you do too. Once again, we're in the same boat." He smiles and takes her hand.

"At least we still have Hobby." She smiles and rolls her eyes.

"Don't ever call us that again." 

"I'll come up with better ones. Fer now go eat something, drink yer brew and I'll be back soon." He hugs her before he leaves. He finds Dean and Louis downstairs in the kitchen. 

"I'm gonna go get Hope's stuff and come back and pick her up. She wants to go home. If anyone calls ye about either of us ye don't know anything and ye haven't heard from us. Make sure she calls the airport." Dean gives him a look.

"Babes, we've got yer back. Ye know we won't tell anyone. I'm a very convincing person." Bobby smiles.

"I know. Ye somehow got Louis to marry yer crazy ass." Dean waves his hand dismissively.

"I'm amazing, that didn't take much convincing." Bobby rolls his eyes.

"I'll be back." When he walks into Hope's hotel room, Noah looks up at him from the bed. "Oh...yer here...yay." Noah stands up.

"Where's Hope? Is she safe? Is she okay? Where is she?"

"She's safe and she's fine but she doesn't want to talk to ye." 

"Where is she? Is she going home, is that why you're here?" Bobby rolls his eyes.

"No, I came fer her stuff so she had everything she needed. We're staying with a mate of mine fer a few days." Noah frowns at him.

"You're going to be staying with my girlfriend?"

"At this point I think it's safe to assume she's not yer girlfriend. Ye feked that up. And we are staying with a mate, it's not like we're gonna be off sleeping together." Noah shakes his head.

"I need to know where. I have to talk to her, I have to fix this." Bobby grits his teeth.

"Ye don't have to know a damn thing. Ye lost that right when ye feked my lass."

"You two weren't even together!"

"Ye know we didn't break up cause we didn't love each other. At least I didn't. I've always loved her. I stayed loyal when we were apart, a couple or not. Just like Casa Amor. The only thing that happened is Sam once again snogged me, except this time she did it so I'd stop being dumb and get Maizie back. And I talked to Maizie about it the next day when she came here. I didn't hide it. I trusted ye Noah. Yer one of my best friends if not my best friend. Ye know what she meant to me and instead of making sure she was alright ye decided sleeping with her was a better option."

"That's not fucking true. I didn't plan to sleep with her. I didn't plan on any of this. I was just comforting her. She blamed every single part of herself for why you would leave her like that. I was just trying to make her feel better. I swear it was completely innocent...until we started talking about me. We were talking about me and Hope. And me and Maizie both choosing people that didn't want the future we wanted. And then my mum got put into it when I was talking about the kind of person she wanted me to end up with...which was Maizie. I didn't tell Maizie that at first but she convinced me to tell her. We were so drunk she was full on Scot. It was like she still lived in Scotland. I barely remember what happened after that. And I didn't remember it right away. I felt like shit when I did. I betrayed my girlfriend and my best friend."

"Then why didn't ye tell me? If I'm yer best friend why didn't ye say anything? And why did ye tell her last night of all nights?"

"I tried not to say anything to anyone cause I didn't want to tear this group apart or ruin my relationship. But I told her cause it felt wrong keeping it from her. Can you honestly say it would've been the right thing to do to know we slept together and her not? To keep it hidden from her? I felt like a creep or a predator or something. It felt wrong. She had a right to know. Bobby, I'm sorry. I really am. I regret it. I regretted it as soon as it started coming back to me. I hate myself for it and I know nothing I say is ever going to make up for it. I really don't want to lose you...you are my best friend." Bobby shakes his head and starts getting Hope's stuff.

"I can't talk to ye right now. All I see when I look at ye is ye being with her like I have." He finishes packing her bag before looking at him again. "When ye think about another man kissing Hope like ye do, or touching her like ye do or being intimate like ye are how does that make ye feel? How am I ever supposed to trust ye? She is the only one I've ever loved, she was the one I wanted to marry and build a family with. I love her more than anyone. And ye knew that. Ye knew what she meant to me. Ye knew everything. How could ye do this to me? To us? To Hope?" He picks up Hope's bag and walks out of the room. Once he gets back to Dean's he finds them on the couch. She looks at him anxiously.

"Was Noah there? What did he say?" Bobby sighs.

"He says he feels horrible and once to fix things with ye. I didn't tell him where ye were or that ye were going home, which ye don't have to by the way. Ye can stay." She shakes her head.

"I can't stay here any longer. Well, here is nice but I mean in Glasgow. I've got to go home. I need to process all of this and clear my head and work through this." Bobby nods.

"Alright. Well I've got everything in the car." She hugs Dean and Louis. He turns to them.

"Thanks fer everything. I'll be in touch later to let ye know what's goin on. I have no clue where it's gonna go from here." They nod and each give him a hug. At the airport he hugs Hope tightly. "I'm sorry this happened."

"It's not your fault. But I appreciate you telling me and being there for me."

"Always. Call me when ye land, yeah?" She nods.

"I will. You let me know how it goes on your end too."

"I will. Be safe. Love ye, Hope." He kisses her cheek and hugs her tightly. She holds onto him a minute.

"I love you too, Bobby." She pulls away and sighs. "I'll call you..." He nods and she smiles before turning around. He sighs and gets in his car. He stares at the steering wheel for a minute.

"What the fek do I do?" He starts driving and without realizing it he drives to the park. He walks to the spot where he proposed to Maizie and watches the waterfall as he leans against a tree. _**What do I do now? Does she really regret it? Does he? Should I try to move on? How do I even do that? Why does my life always fall apart like this?**_ Someone clears their throat behind him. _**Only one person could've guessed where I was.**_ "I don't think I'm ready fer this yet, Maizie." Her voice is so soft he could barely hear her over the roar of the waterfall.

"Bobby, please. Let me explain. I need to know where we stand, where your mind is. I want to know what I can do."

"Dinnae ken. I don't even know."

"Do you love me?"

"That's not fair, Maizie."

"Why? Are you afraid if you admit it that you'll just brush this off? Is that why you won't look at me either." He doesn't say anything. "Are you disgusted by me now?" He heard the pain in her voice, making his chest twist more.

"No, yer not disgusting. I think yer absolutely gorgeous and amazing. I knew other lads wanted to be with ye, but it never mattered cause ye were with me. And I was stupid to think no one would try when I left. Every time I see ye I can't help but think about ye in every possible way. Being with ye and being intimate with ye is the best feeling in the world. I worship every inch of ye. I kiss and touch and feel every inch. And when I look at ye all I see is my best friend doing that. I see him kissing ye the way I do, touching ye the way I do, I can't get it out of my head. If it was a random person it would hurt but we'd have a better chance at getting past this. But he was my best friend. My best friend got to be with ye the way I do. I felt like I was enough before but now I know I'm not. I was stupid to convince myself I was. I should've known better than that." She slowly approaches him.

"Bobby, you're more than enough. I love you more than anyone or anything. I feel awful for what happened. The minute I remembered I wanted to go back and stop it. I don't want him or anyone else. I want you. Being with you is better than being with him. With him it felt-" He winces, tears rolling down his cheeks. "With you it feels like fireworks. It's passionate and intimate and loving and affectionate. No one could ever compare to you. Don't let my stupid mistakes change your worth though. If anything I don't deserve you. You are amazing in every way. I swear you're perfect and I'm far from it. I think it's obvious that I'm the one that's not good enough. I'm the one who doesn't deserve you. You deserve someone who's not some broken, fucked up mess." He looks down at the ground. She reaches her hand towards his cheek, hesitating half way there before she closes the distance. She whispers softer this time. "Bobby, look at me...please." After a minute he looks at her. He saw the pain in her eyes and his chest twisted into knots. "You know me better than anyone else. Even my family. Look me in the eyes and tell me if I'm lying when I say this. I love you and only you. I want you and only you. I will do anything in this world I can to show you how much you mean to me. I was broken and stupid. I thought I'd lost you forever and now I've done something horrible that might actually make me lose you....and the thought of waking up without you kills me. I hate myself for hurting you." He sees the promise and truth in her eyes.

"How can I trust that ye mean it this time? How are we going to move past this?" She gently pulls his necklace from under his shirt and straightens it out. She lays her hand over his heart next to it, their rings side by side. 

"This is how. I made a vow to you to love you the rest of my life. And I will rather we're together or not. But I don't want to end up like Jonno and my mum. I want to grow old with you and still have a family with you. I want to spend every waking moment with you. I want you. I don't want to go without the sun again." He touches her cheek gently.

"I'm gonna need time. I don't know what to do next, but fer now it's not over. I do love ye, Maizie...but I have to try and figure out how to get through this." She nods.

"Okay. Take all the time you need." He hugs her tightly, her tears soaking his shirt.

"Keep this up and I'll have to buy a new shirt. Yer tears er gonna ruin it one day." She laughs.

"You're keeping that suit, right?"

"Aye...why?"

"Cause if we make it through this I'm gonna need you to wear it again...just like it is right now though." He chuckles.

"Yer something else, lass." They make their way home. As soon as they walk in the door everyone starts pounding him with questions. Gary hugged him.

"Thank God! I was worried!" Priya swatted his arm.

"Do not ever run off like that again and not say anything."

"Ow! I talked to Lottie." Chelsea frowns at him.

"Last night! It's two in the afternoon and we hadn't heard from you!" Rahim sighs.

"At least Maizie found you. Where was he?" She sighs.

"The place he proposed." Gary looks at her confused.

"But we don't know where that is."

"I know." Chelsea and Priya look at each other, their eyes softened. Chelsea put her hand on her heart.

"Awww. He went to their special place." Bobby rolls his eyes. Priya raises her eyebrows.

"That attitude tells me this isn't fixed yet." Maizie and Bobby don't look at each other. They were only a few inches apart but it felt like kilometers. Gary rubs his temples.

"Here we go again. Alright, Bobby I know it's fucked up but don't let this ruin your relationship." Bobby frowns.

"Excuse me? Ye want me to just forget my best friend slept with my wife?" Chelsea frowns.

"Wife? I thought you were just engaged." He rolls his eyes again.

"Chelsea, not now. If ye don't know then don't talk." Chelsea's eyes water and she looks down. Rahim frowns at him.

"Mate, cool it. Don't take it out on us." Priya puts an arm around Chelsea.

"Don't act like we did anything. We just want everyone to get along again." He looks at them angrily.

"Wait wait. So ye want me to what pretend none of this happened? Just move on like it's nothing? That sounds great. Except that every time I look at her all I see his Noah. I see him touching her and kissing her like I do. Tell me if ye had that image of yer best friend doing that to the person yer with, ye would just move on? Rahim what if it was Jo he slept with? Or Lottie? Or what if it was Maizie who slept with Henrik? Fek that. I devoted my life to this girl and all of a sudden everything falls apart. Not only do I have to deal with mourning my mum now I have to try and figure out what to do about us. It isn't exactly just easy to break up anymore." Priya rolls her eyes.

"I mean emotionally maybe. But physically it's just as easy as that." Maizie frowns at her.

"Priya! Are you for us or against us!?" 

"There may not even be an us right now. I don't know how the fek to deal with this right now. There's more to this than just breaking up." Gary looks at him and speaks softly.

"Bobby. No." He looks at Gary and they exchange a look. Rahim looks between them.

"No what? I think it's safe to say keeping secrets is not best for the group right now." Bobby groans.

"Fek this shit! All yer feking worried about is the feking group. Are we ignoring the fact Noah cheated on Hope with Maizie? Are we forgetting her and Noah feking slept together? And Noah has hid this fer weeks! He had no intention of telling any of us. Especially me and Hope. He tried to get Maizie to not say anything. Ye know what, fek this shit. I'm feking done. Fek this group, fek this fake friend shit, fek everything. I'm out." He walks to his room and grabs some clothes before he leaves and goes back to Louis and Dean's. He turned off his phone while he was there. For two days he had no one interrupt him except Louis and Dean. No one knew where he was. On the third day someone rang the doorbell. Bobby answered the door and was met with Oliver and Gary staring at him angrily. He rolled his eyes. "That didn't last long." Gary crosses his arms.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You're gonna yell at everyone and then disappear and turn your phone off?"

"I don't have the head space fer this." He goes to shut the door when Oliver stops it with his foot and pushes it open. Bobby looked at him. "Move Olly. I'm not doin this shit. Fek off." 

"No, shut the hell up and listen. I'm done with this shit. Yer bullshit with Maizie has pushed me to my breaking point. I know ye love her and she loves ye. She got drunk cause yer stupid ass broke up with her. She got drunk and slept with another guy. She was hurting, that's what people do. When ye snogged Lottie ye snogged her cause ye were hurting. People do stupid things when they're in pain. If ye wanna be mad at anyone be mad at Noah. He knew she wasn't in a good place emotionally, he knew she was in love with ye and ye were in love with her and he cheated on his girlfriend. When ye walked out like that ye broke her Bobby. She has laid in yer bed crying since ye left. She is punishing herself on top of mourning Maw. She needs ye and ye aren't there. Ye vowed to stand by here through the good and the bad. Well guess what, this is the bad. Are ye gonna step up and love her through this or be a bitch and walk away?" Gary raised his eyebrows and looked between them. Bobby had never seen Oliver so mad before. "She's our family now too. We need each other more than ever. Ye don't turn yer back on yer family. Ye can be upset with her all ye want, be hurt that's fine. But don't just walk away. Now grab yer shit and get the hell in the car and go the fek home. If I don't see ye pull up in twenty minutes I'm gonna come back here and kick yer ass." He turned and stormed towards the car. "Gary! Let's go!" Gary looked at him shocked.

"I don't like being told what to do but I'm not even arguing with him. He's on a warpath. But you better be home in twenty minutes." He follows him to the car. He shut the door and Dean was standing there staring at him shocked. 

"Bobby...I think they need ye...and ye need them. He's right about marriage. The vows are fer the good and the bad, ye can stand with her by the bad to get to the good er ye can leave. But giving up like this is breaking yer vows. If she's laying there waiting fer ye ye need to go. She'll swallow herself into self pity again. Ye know she always punishes herself more than anyone else." He sighed and grabbed his stuff and left. He pulled up and sat in the car for a few minutes trying to figure out what to say. Rahim got in the car and sat next to him.

"I don't know what to say to her."

"Are you sorry or angry?"

"I'm hurt and sorry. I didn't think about how hard this is hitting her on top of losing Maw."

"Then show her. Don't tell her, show her."

"How do we get past this? How is this gonna work?"

"I wish I could answer that. You know her better than anyone. But from my point, I think this is going to be hard for you to get past this...but I think you'll be able to. I know what happened is wrong and fucked up in a million ways....but drunk Maizie and sober Maizie are two different people. You know she wouldn't have done that if she was sober. Her loyalty runs deep, it's who she is. But I also know it runs so deep that this is killing her. She knows she wasn't loyal and it's crushing her. Bobby, you have to do something. I can't tell you what to say or do but you need to do something before she's too far gone." 

"Do ye think this will split the group?"

"I don't know. I hope we can all figure this out...but I get it if it doesn't." Bobby sighs and gets out of the car and goes inside. She's laying on the bed facing the window, watching snow fall. He shuts the door.

"Go away, Gary. I want to be alone." He doesn't say anything as he walks over to her and lays down with her. He wrapped his arm around her and spoke softly.

"Lass?" She turns and looks at him. Her eyes are swollen and bright red, her nose is red from rubbing it so much.

"What're you doing here?" He puts a hand to her cheek and looks into her eyes.

"I realized I haven't thought about how yer feeling. I mean I knew ye were upset but I didn't think about how this Noah thing effected ye. I'm sorry fer yelling at ye. I just don't know what to do. The vows say we'll love each other through the good and the bad...this is the bad. But I'm not going anywhere. I'm not breaking my vows. I love ye, Maizie." She curls up into his chest, crying again.

"I'm so so sorry, Bobby. I swear I wish I could change it. I didn't know..." He holds her close and rubs her back.

"Hey, stop apologizing. I know yer sorry but ye need to stop torturing yerself. Ye don't need to be punished. It was a mistake. And technically we were broken up so really ye were free to do what ye wanted drunk or sober. If anything I'm more mad at him than ye."

"But you said you couldn't look at me...that you only thought about him." He sighs.

"I did...it's still hard to not think about it. But someone reminded me who ye were and I saw my Maizie again. I just got...distracted. Even though it's still hard to get over I see my lass that I fell in love with in the Villa. Who snorts when she laughs, who pours her heart into caring fer others, who devotes her life to helping people. Yer still my Maizie that stole my heart on day one." She cuddled into him, sniffling.

"So you still love me?" He gently lifted her face to look at him.

"I'll always love ye, lass. I still love ye just as much as I did yesterday and I'll still love ye tomorrow." He leans down and gently kisses her, the familiarity made his heart pound. "Let's just keep that kind of stuff between us...and Marisol." She laughs and swats his arm. "What? I thought ye liked that." She cuddles into him again and doesn't say anything. After a while she sits up. 

"I need to go shower now. I feel gross." He smiled.

"Need some help?" She looked at him suspiciously. 

"If you want to you're always welcome in my shower...but I understand if you need time." She gets up and grabs some clothes and goes to the shower. He sits there a minute looking at the door. **_What do I do?_** He sighs and stands up and grabs his clothes. She's already down to her bra and panties when he comes in. He looks her over with mixed emotions. She looks into his eyes as she approaches him. She slowly untucks his shirt and unbuttons it. She looks at him as she bit her lip. She looks into his eyes again and unbuttoned his pants. She puts his hands on her hips, just above her panty line. She looks at him, waiting for him to make a move. "You don't have to." She placed a hand on his cheek and just looked into his eyes. After a moment he leans down and kisses her gently, at first. He runs a hand into her hair and grips her hip tightly. She wraps her arms around his neck, holding him close. He undoes her bra, sliding it off of her. She slides his shirt off his shoulders. They remove the rest of their clothes, piece by piece. He picks her up and takes her into the shower, pinning her against the wall. He pulls away and looks into her eyes.

"I can't come back from this a second time...." She nods, trying to keep the tears in her eyes. He kisses her hard again, making her moan against his lips. He sets her down and runs his hand down her body, putting his fingers in her, making her gasp. He doesn't waste any time in making her come.

"Fuck, Bobby." He bites his lip.

"I like it when ye say my name." She smiles and kisses his neck. She whispers in his ear.

"Then fuck me, Bobby." He lifts her up again and thrusts into her. "Just like that." He starts moving, making her moan again. She leans into the crook of his neck. He moves her hair and kisses her should, moving up to her neck. "Oh, fuck." She digs into his back, making him moan.

"Fek, lass." She pulls him to her and kisses him. He thrusts harder, her moans getting louder. She bites his shoulder, trying to drown out her moans. She digs her nails into him harder as she comes again. He lets her down and turns her around, pinning her against the wall. He lifts one of her legs and goes inside of her again. He held onto her hips as he thrusted hard into her. He moves her hair and kisses her neck as he reaches in front of her and rubs her as he thrust. She arches her back, pushing into him more. She bites her lip hard, trying not to be loud. He bites her neck gently.

"Harder." He smiles and bites her harder, making her moan loudly. "Fuck." He smiles.

"Gave up on being quiet?" She bites her lip, looking over her shoulder.

"It's more fun this way." He pulls out and turns her around, kissing her hard. She wraps her leg around him. He looks down and sees it's the one with the tattoo. He bites his lip.

"Seeing that around my waist drives me crazy." She looks him in the eye.

"Then go crazy." He kisses her again and thrusts into her. Their movements, touches, moans became more urgent. He could tell by her moans that she was close. He bites her shoulder again. She digs her nails into him hard as she climaxes. His grip on her thigh tightened. He looked at her tattoo as she bit him.

"Fek, lass. Yer gonna make me come." She kisses his neck.

"Then do it." She dug her nails into him and bit him one more time, finally pushing him over the edge.

"Fek, Maizie." For a minute he stood there holding her leg with one hand, the other hand next to her on the wall. She was breathing hard as she looked into his eyes. For a minute they don't say anything they just look into each others eyes.

"I think you proved your point." He blushes a little.

"What do ye mean?" She doesn't say anything else. He steps back and lets her go. They finish the shower in silence. Afterwards they walk into the living room to see everyone still there. They all look at them and smile, Maizie and Bobby blush. "What?" Priya winks at them.

"Sounds like you two made up." Maizie looks down and Bobby shrugs. 

"I mean, yeah." Gary groans and lays back on the floor. Rahim looks at them confused. Lottie raises an eyebrow and shares a look with Priya. Chelsea just stared at them. Rahim finally breaks the silence.

"I'm getting the sense you two haven't actually made up.....even though you just had sex....which usually means you two made up." He leans over to Gary. "I'm not dreaming, right? This is real life. Sex didn't fix it this time." Gary sighs and looks at him.

"Yes, Rahim. You're awake and this is real life. They're still not through this." Lottie looks at Gary confused.

"Hey, babe. Why are you laying on the ground?" Gary closes his eyes and shakes his head.

"This is exhausting me. I think I'm getting gray hair from this." Priya rolls her eyes and gets up. She walks over to Maizie and takes her hand.

"It's time to get the group involved." She pulls Maizie to the couch. Lottie stands up and drags Bobby to the other couch. Priya sighs. "We need to figure this out. You two are the power couple of the group. Without you two it's not right." Bobby looks down. Gary groans as he sits up.

"Alright, let's cut the chit chat. Bobby, you wanna tell me why you just had what sounded like a very good time with Maizie and you're still distant?" Bobby doesn't look up.

"Not really." Lottie rolls her eyes.

"Well what about you, Maizie?" Maizie blushes and looks down.

"I mean it feels kind of weird talking about such intimate details in front of everyone." Priya raises an eyebrow at her.

"We have all heard you two having sex a million times. You both have talked to us about your sex life. I think we can handle it. And it's not like we're trying to judge you two or pick on you. We just want to help you two." Maizie sighs.

"Fine. It felt like it was a competition. Not at first but then it felt like he was trying to prove he was better or something. I mean it was great...but...it didn't feel intimate. Usually when we...are intimate...it feels like our souls combine. And it's a strong connection that we both feel....but it wasn't there. It was all the act with none of the feelings." Her cheeks turn redder as she looks at Bobby. He covers his face.

"I don't know what ye mean." She sighs and crosses her legs, sitting back. Rahim looked at Bobby.

"Mate, cut the shit. Just say what's on your mind." He shakes his head.

"It's just....it's too hard to explain." Lottie glares at him.

"Then do your best but say something besides evading the question. Just answer the damn question or I swear to god, Bobby, I'm going to-"

"Alright, Lottie! I hear ye. Fine. I felt disconnected from it. Like the day she chose Elijah and shut me out. Except I think it's me this time. I can read her mind and know exactly what she's thinking and she can with me but it's not happening like that. The sex was great but...it was hard to stop thinking about her with...." He sighs and looks away. "I'm not trying to make ye feel bad, lass. I know yer sorry and I believe ye. It's just...it's still hard fer me to accept. I still want to be with ye I just don't know what to do right now." Maizie looks down and wipes her eyes. "Maizie, don't cry. I'm not trying to hurt yer feelings, honest. I mean ye wanted to talk about what's gong and this is what's going on. I just...I feel like I'm not good enough anymore. And then the thought of ye with him...it's stuck there. I...I keep trying to push it away but it just doesn't work." She doesn't say anything. He sighs and rubs his face. "This was a bad idea." He tries to get up but Lottie grabs his hand.

"No! You aren't running off again. You need to sit down and deal with this. Running away from it won't make it go away."

"What do ye want me to do?! Sit here and keep making her cry? That shit kills me. Ye know I hate seeing her cry in the first place, but when it's me making her cry it hurts more." Lottie sighs.

"I get that but you can't just keep running off. We need you here." Chelsea finally looks up.

"I know you said to be quiet if I don't know but....does that mean you two are going to break up? I mean without the connection...doesn't most relationships fail?" He sighs and looks at Maizie. She looks back at him.

"I don't want it to be...I love ye, Maizie..." She nods.

"I know...but she has a point...." His heart twisted again.

"What do ye want to do?" She shrugs.

"There's the obvious choice we don't want to do...but..."

"Maybe it's best fer now...."

"For both of us....." Gary looked between them.

"Wait, so are you two really just gonna end it like that? You really think that's the best choice right now?" Maizie and Bobby look at each other, not saying anything. Maizie clears her throat.

"Yes. I think we need to spend some time apart." Bobby looks down.

"Aye." He stands up. "I'll go stay at a mate's flat. Ye can use the room until ye go home." He grabs his bag and heads towards the door. Rahim stands.

"Bobby!" He turns and looks at him. "Are you really okay with this? You're going to just walk away? After all this time, after everything you two have been through? You're going to walk away?" He shrugs and looks at Maizie.

"Sometimes loving someone takes sacrifice. And right now I think we're both just too hurt to be with each other right now. We're only hurting each other more trying to stay together. It's like having a paper cut and touching alcohol. It's supposed to help but it just stings." Priya looks between them, tears in her eyes.

"So that's it then? You two are breaking up?" Lottie sniffles.

"So what does this mean between all of us? How are we going to stay friends if the two couples that we depended on are broken up? And we're friends with all of them. How...how are we going to do this?" Bobby shrugs.

"We'll figure it out. But thanks to all of ye fer everything. Fer the support fer us, all the advice and rooting fer us. Thanks fer supporting us with Maw." He looks at her one more time, meeting her eyes. He turns and walks away before a tear falls. Walking out of his flat he looked back at it. _**Life doesn't ever work out how ye want it to...what would Maw say right now? I don't even know. How is it when I need her most she's gone?**_ He sighs and gets in his car and drives away.


	11. Learning to Live

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is Maizie's POV.

She watches Bobby walk out the door without looking back. _**Just like last time....**_ When the door shuts everyone looks at her. Priya looks at her confused, her eyes watering.

"Are you really just going to let him go?" Lottie stands up.

"Don't you love him?" Gary looks at her sadly.

"Zi, what are you doing?" She sighs and shrugs.

"Guys, I know this is hard...for everyone. But it just isn't working right now. Hopefully one day it will. But for now it isn't. Why should we torture ourselves trying to force something that isn't working? Chelsea was right...with connection anymore we have nothing. Love isn't always enough." Chelsea starts crying.

"Bobby was right. I need to shut up more. This is all my fault! I shouldn't have said anything...I caused the greatest love story of all time to end." Maizie sighs and gets on the floor next to Chelsea.

"This isn't your fault. If not now we would've soon anyway. This was my fault. It drove too big of a wedge between us. Making him stay was hurting him. I can't be the reason for his pain anymore. I've done enough damage. It's better this way." She hugs Chelsea and stands up. "I know this is going to be hard but we have to move on. Life's a bitch sometimes. I'll go home tomorrow so he can have his room back. For now I'm going to bed." As soon as she shut the door, the tears started to fall. **_We just broke up...again....._** She texts Ainsley.

_"It's safe to come home now."_

_"You guys have finally quieted down? ;)"_

_"Something like that..."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"We broke up."_

_"WHAT????"_

_"We both agreed it was what's best for now. I'm going home tomorrow. I'd prefer to be left a lone for a bit."_

_"Maizie, what are you talking about? How is breaking up what's best? Don't you love each other?"_

_"Goodnight Ainsley."_ She turns off her phone and locks the door. She wraps herself in one of his shirts and silently cries herself to sleep. When the sun shines in her eyes she lays there for a while, staring out the window. She sighs and sits up. She calls the airport and gets a flight home. After packing her bags she looks around the room, remembering all the happy times she had with him. All the love she felt. All the laughs they shared. She wipes her face again. She looks down at his mum's rings. _**I can't keep these anymore. They're not mine....**_ She lays them on his dresser. With a final glance around she leaves. Everyone was sitting in the living room together. Gary frowns.

"You're leaving already? Our flights aren't for another few hours." She nods.

"I need to go home. I'll talk to you all later. I'll text you when I land..." She smiles gently and walks out to the cab waiting. By afternoon she was back home in London. She walks into her flat and looks around. "It still feels so empty...." She spends the next few days at home. She doesn't cry and drink the whole time like she did before. She just felt numb. She went back to work after a week, without Gary making her go. She went back to her old life. She rarely talked to anyone except Gary. When they came over she wouldn't answer the door. Her and Bobby had agreed, through Gary translating, it was best not to contact each other. She still met with her mum every week, had sleepovers with Ainsley. After six weeks had passed she started adjusting back to the way things were. Christmas had been really hard on her. She refused to answer the phone or the door that day and spent most of it it crying. But after that she made herself get up. Slowly, she didn't feel numb anymore. At night the pain grew deeply and sometimes even physically hurt. Everywhere she went she thought of him. His presence haunted her. She didn't paint or draw much anymore, but she still read. One night while she was eating takeout she looked at her phone. She sighs and answers it. "Hi Gary."

"Bout time. Nan wants you to come over Sunday for dinner." She looks out the window.

"It's already Thursday. I can't. I have plans."

"With who?"

"A friend."

"....what kind of friend?" She sighs again.

"Not a date or boyfriend friend. Just a friend. Tell her I'm sorry and I love her." He sighs.

"Maizie, call him. You aren't the same. You're a walking zombie now. You never talk to anyone except me, you don't see anyone, you work every day and seeing you hurts me now. You don't laugh or smile much anymore. You miss him...just call him."

"We agreed not to talk Gary. We're honoring that. And I'm fine. This is exactly how it was before the Villa."

"And that's a good thing how? You aren't the person who you used to be. You aren't my Maizie."

"Gary, I know it's hard to move on...but we have to. It's over. I'm not calling him. I need to go."

"Maizie wait."

"Bye Gary."

"Maizie-" She hangs up the phone and looks down at her screen. It's a picture of her and Bobby at the park. He was giving her a piggy back ride and they were both laughing. She looked into his eyes, focused on every freckle, memorized every detail of him. She felt herself collapsing inside again. She got up and went for a run. She loved running, it made her feel free and happy. She stopped to tie her shoe. When she got up she bumped into another person.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do that. I wasn't pay-" She looked up and sees piercing blue eyes looking back at her, nearly covered by shaggy black hair. "Carl?" He smiled.

"Maizie!" He hugged her. For the first time in weeks she felt happy.

"What are you doing here???"

"Uh, I got relocated."

"When?"

"A few weeks ago."

"Why didn't you look me up?"

"I didn't want to upset Bobby. Which last I heard was going very well. Congratulations on the engagement." Her face falls.

"Oh, uh...that didn't work out. We, uh, we broke up." His eyes go wide.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know. I swear I didn't...I'm so sorry." She smiles.

"It's okay. It was a mutual thing." They stand there awkwardly for a minute. "Uh well I should go. But it was nice seeing you. I'd love to get together and catch up sometime." He smiled his dazzling smile at her.

"I'd like that too. Uh, exchange numbers?" She bites her lip and nods. After they exchange numbers she looks up at him.

"I'm glad I ran into you...literally." He chuckles.

"Me too. I guess I should let you go....I hope to hear from you soon." She smiles.

"Me too." She slowly backs away. "Uh, bye...I guess." She laughs nervously.

"Bye, Maizie." She turned and started running again. Her thoughts travelled to Carl. _**He is really gorgeous...I wonder if he's single?**_ After she gets back home she calls Gary.

"Wow, I don't think you've called me in weeks. I always call you."

"Something amazing just happened!"

"You talked to Bobby??" She sighs.

"No! I ran into Carl!"

"Carl? That bloke from Casa Amor??"

"Yeah! He got relocated to London. We ran into each other when I went on a run."

"Interesting...."

"We exchanged numbers. I hope he calls me soon."

"What?"

"What?"

"Wait, are you thinking of dating this guy?"

"I mean, I don't know. Maybe. We seemed to have had a spark before and I am single now. He's cute, sweet, funny. We got on really well."

"I thought you didn't date."

"I mean not until Bobby. But being with him showed me not every man will be like Alex. So I might be willing to give it a shot. That's all if he asks me on a date."

"Right, well I'm glad you sound happy at least. I haven't heard that in a long time." She smiles to herself.

"Thanks...me too." 

"Well, I've got to go. I'm gonna meet up with Rahim here in a bit."

"Okay. Tell him I said hi. Have fun and don't do anything stupid."

"Zi, have you met me? I'm definitely going to do something stupid." She laughs. "There it is! There's my Maizie." She rolls her eyes to herself.

"Goodbye Gary." 

"Alright, alright. Bye." She hangs up and looks out the window. For the first time in a long time she felt hopeful. Her phone dings. She opens it.

_"Is it too soon to text a girl you just exchanged numbers with?"_

_"Mmm, I don't think so."_

_"I really hope this is Maizie and not some stranger."_

_"LOL. Yes it's me Carl."_

_"So would it be too soon to ask if we could meet up soon to catch up?"_

_"Depends when. I have work."_

_"Wednesday evening?" **What's the date on that?**_ She checks her calendar to make sure there was nothing else planned. _**January22nd...yay, no plans!**_

_"Sounds great to me. :)"_

_"Awesome. I can't wait then."_

_"Me either. But I better get ready for bed. I'll talk to you soon?"_

_"Of course. Goodnight Maizie."_

_"Goodnight Carl."_ She puts her phone down and smiles to herself. _**I have a date.**_ She frowns. _**I have a date...I wonder what Bobby would say. He'd probably be hurt by it. Wait, no. I'm sure he's gone out with someone. Or had a one night stand. We aren't together anymore so it doesn't matter what he says...or would say.**_ Wednesday rolls around and she hurries home to change for her date with Carl. When she gets out of the car she sees a package waiting at her door. **_What's this? I didn't order anything._** She reads the name. _**It's addressed to me...**_ ** _I wonder who sent it._** She picks it up and takes it inside. She opens it and just stares at it. She pulls out a purple shirt with a cupcake and a cookie holding hands. _**Why did he send me this?**_ Inside was also his favorite shirt. **_Why his favorite shirt?_** She looks inside again and gasps. A little blue box sat on top of a note. She opened the box and admired the rings inside of it. _**Why would he send me these? Is he trying to tell me something? But we agreed not to talk....but we did say this might be temporary. We can't get back together if we don't talk. Should I text him? No, that's stupid. Oh, shit the note.**_ She pulls out the note and opens it. 

_" ~~Lass~~ Maizie, these belong to you. You won that shirt fair and square by eating a whole cake. I wouldn't dare keep your prize. The other shirt was given to you. I already have one...this one is yours. And for the rings those are yours too. Maw said she wanted you to have them. Just because we aren't together anymore doesn't mean you shouldn't keep what she wanted you to have. I realized you didn't take anything with you that was hers. Now you do. She would want you to keep them, I won't be needing them. If you have any questions about anything else of hers let me know. I hope everything is going good for you. I'm sorry for breaking our no contact rule. ~~Love~~ Sincerely, Bobby." _She stares at the note for a minute. _**He...gave me this stuff back? He gave me the rings back? Does this mean something? No, right? He said Maw wanted me to have them....but they were for when we were together....we're not together anymore. Does he want to get back together? Am I thinking too much into this?**_ She shakes her head and picks up her phone. 

"Gaz, come over. Bring Lottie."

"What about your date with Carl?"

"Oh shit. I forgot about that.....come over anyway."

"This isn't an attempt to double date isn't it? Cause I'm not down."

"One, no it's not. And two, why not?"

"I ship Mobby...Maiby? Bozie? Baizie?" She sighs.

"Okay, whatever just come over...and bring-"

"Wine? Got it." 

"I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing that you knew I was going to say that..."

"Let's go with good." She smiles.

"Alright, hurry up!"

"Alright, alright. Lozza! Get your shoes on we're going to see Maizie!....Yes she invited you too.....she did! She said bring Lottie.....I swear.....would you just get your damn shoes on woman? See you soon Zi."

"See you soon." She hangs up the phone and calls Carl.

"Hey gorgeous." She blushes.

"Hey. I'm sorry but I can't make it tonight...a work thing came up."

"Okay, that's fine. I have some work that needs done anyway. The deadline is Friday and there's still a lot to do. Um, I hope we can reschedule soon?"

"Yeah, I'd like that. I'm really sorry."

"It's fine. Really don't worry about it. It's okay."

"Okay...good. Um, I hope you had a nice day." He chuckles.

"It was hectic...as usual. But it helps hearing your voice." She blushes again and bites her lip. 

"You melt." He laughs.

"Meltier than ice cream in a sunny dream." She rolls her eyes, smiling.

"You and your word play."

"Hey, I am good at word play. I'm amazing at Scrabble."

"Oh, I'm sure you are."

"I am. But I'll let you go. Talk to you soon?"

"Okay. Yeah. I'll talk to you soon."

"Okay, good."

"Hey Carl?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For not being mad...and making me smile."

"You're welcome. But don't thank me. I know these things happen. I'm just glad I got to talk to you."

"Right...well I'll let you go then."

"Okay. Bye Maizie."

"Bye Carl." She bites her lip, thinking about their conversation. A little while later Gary and Lottie walk in the door. "Thank god!" She hugs Gary and turns to Lottie. "I want one from you too. I still love you." Lottie smiles and hugs her.

"Wouldn't hurt for you to tell me once in a while." 

"I know...I'm sorry. It's been weird lately." Gary goes to the kitchen grabs wine glasses.

"I brought two bottles of wine since there's two of you."

"Okay. Your beer is in the fridge." 

"Get some!" She rolls her eyes and grabs the box and goes to the couch. She looks at Lottie then the couch.

"Oh, you want me to....okay." Lottie sits down next to her. She looks at the box. "What's that?"

"This is why I called you two over here." Gary comes back with wine for the girls and a beer for him. He looks at Maizie.

"Hey, why do we manage to have each others drink of choice but not our own?" Maizie shrugs.

"We drink our drinks of choice. But we keep stocked for each other in case we hang out." He nods.

"Smart. I didn't know we did that." She rolls her eyes and takes a big sip of wine. "Slow down, Zi. I don't want scot Maizie until we figure out what's wrong."

"Right. So I get home from work to get ready for my date with Carl-" Lottie looks at her confused.

"Date??? You're dating???" Maizie blushes.

"Sort of...didn't Gary tell you?"

"Obviously, not. And Carl? Who's Carl?"

"From Casa Amor. The tech entrepreneur."

"How did that happen?"

"I ran into him a couple days ago in the park. Turns out his company relocated him here to London. We were gonna meet up but I cancelled. Because of this." She sets the box on the coffee table and opens it again. She pulls out the contents and the note. She hands Lottie the note. She reads over it quickly.

"This confuses the hell out of me."

"Right!? Is he trying to tell me something? Does he want me to call him? Does he want to get back together?" Gary takes the note from Lottie and reads it.

"I don't know. It seems pretty innocent to me."

"And that's why I asked Lottie to come. She thinks like a woman." Lottie sighs.

"Alright, let's break it down. He wrote 'lass' and then crossed it out. Either it's habit or he was hinting something." Gary looks at her confused.

"Hinting what?"

"He called her 'lass' when they were a couple. When they weren't he called her Maizie. He could've wrote that as a sign that he wants to get back together. Anyway, moving on. When he explains why he gave you this stuff back it seems like he went a little extra with it. Like explaining that Maw gave it to you...even though she gave them to him for him to give to you so you two could get married." Gary shrugs.

"I thought he was just explaining stuff." Maizie rolls her eyes.

"Bloody hell, Gary." 

"What?" Lottie waves a hand dismissively at him.

"At the bottom her wrote love and crossed it out too. He doesn't write often, especially letters. So he wouldn't be in the habit of writing love all the time." Gary shrugs again.

"Maybe it was an accident because he always said he loved her when he talked to her and he was talking to her in the note."

"But that still proves my point he's trying to say something. He still wanted to say love because he still loves her. He even told her to talk to him." Gary rolls his eyes.

"He said that cause he was talking about his mum's stuff." Lottie groans.

"Men, I swear." She looks back at Maizie. "But the part about the shirts. Remember what he said when he gave you that shirt?"

"Yeah, he said his mum bought him two. One for him and one for his future girlfriend. He let me keep it because he wanted me to be his girlfriend."

"Exactly! It's a symbol that he knew he wanted to be serious with you. If he's giving it back now and reminding you he has one too maybe he's trying to say he wants you to be his girlfriend again." Gary sighs.

You're reading too far into this. It's a simple not about the stuff he sent her."

"What about the part where he said he won't be needing the rings though? Is he trying to tell me he doesn't want to get married anymore? Or that he's moving on? Or that it's officially over with no chance of getting back together?" Gary looks at them confused.

"Wow...you two really took that note and ran with it. Is this what bird's do?" Maizie and Lottie look at each other before looking at him. Lottie sighs.

"Yes, babe. It's what we do."

"Guys aren't that complicated though...only women." 

"No, you're not that complicated. Bobby is."

"No he's not. He's just another guy."

"Ugh, whatever. I'm calling him. Maizie be quiet and Gary say nothing about Maizie or being here." The phone rings a couple times.

"Hey Lozza!" Maizie frowns. _**He sounds happy.**_

"Hey! What are you up to?"

"Bout to go out with the lads. What's up?"

"Out? To where?"

"The club?"

"Why?"

"Cause I want to go have some drinks with my mates?"

"Not to pick up women?" He's quiet a moment.

"No...not to pick up women. I haven't done that still."

"Oh really? And why is that?" He sighs.

"Lottie, drop it. Between ye and everyone else all I hear is about me and Maizie. Stop it."

"Okay I would but she called Gary a couple minutes ago."

"Okay? And?"

"And she told him about the note." He's quiet.

"The note? So she told him about the stuff?"

"About your matching shirts, your favorite shirt and the wedding rings you gave her? Yeah, she told him." He doesn't say anything for a second.

"So why are ye calling me about that?"

"Cause Gary and I are arguing about what it means. She said it confused her and she couldn't figure out what you were trying to say. Gary says it's completely innocent and you're just explaining things. But I think there's all kinds of hints that you still love her." He sighs.

"Lottie...ye know I don't like talking about this..."

"Okay but we need you to settle an argument. What does it mean?"

"So ye can go back and tell her? It doesn't matter she's dating again, right?"

"How'd you know that?"

"Gary told me...." Lottie glares at him.

"I swear I'll kill you, Gary."

"What? He asked what's new...that was the only new thing." Lottie rolls her eyes and talks to Bobby again.

"She cancelled it."

"What? Why?"

"Your note and the stuff you sent her."

"I'm gonna need more than that." Lottie sighs.

"Men. She's torn because she doesn't know if you want to get back together or you're saying you definitely aren't getting back together or if you're just being nice. And obviously Gary and I disagree on this." He's quite.

"If I answer this will ye stop asking me about her?"

"Mmmm, no promises."

"Lottie, ye can't keep asking me about her every time we talk. She hasn't called me and she probably won't. She's dating that other lad from Casa Amor." Lottie looks at Gary.

"You told him who it was?! For fuck's sake Gary. Are you trying to keep them apart?"

"Ah, come off it Lottie. I told you it was the only new thing." She rolls her eyes and turns her attention back to Bobby.

"She hasn't been on a date yet...and she cancelled the one she had tonight because she's thinking about you..."

"Is she really or just trying to figure out the note?"

"What do you think?" 

"I think she's probably staring at the box with a glass of wine in her hands." Maizie blushes and quietly puts down the wine.

"Well, you're probably right but that would require calling her and finding out. Anyway, do you think she misses you?"

"Dinnae ken, Lottie. I try not to think about it."

"Do you think she still loves you?"

"Dinnae ken."

"Bobby, give me a real answer." He groans.

"Fek, Lottie. Alright alright. If I answer yer questions will ye stop bugging me about it?"

"Fine...for tonight."

"No. Permanently."

"Fine, fine."

"Okay, what do ye want to know first?"

"Do you still love her?"

"Aye." Her heart leapt at the admission.

"Do you want to get back with her?"

"That one I really don't know. We broke up for a reason but if she's dating other guys I don't think she's ready for that. Or if she even wants to for that matter."

"But if she did would you want to?"

"Dinnae ken. I guess we would have to talk to figure that out."

"Well would you want her to call you?"

"I don't know that one either. We broke up fer a reason. It still hurts."

"The Noah thing or the break up?"

"A bit of both."

"So you are upset about the breakup?"

"Of course I'm upset. I wanted to marry her and have kids with her. She's the only girl in the world I ever wanted any of that with. She's the only girl I slept with more than once while in an actual relationship. Just cause we broke up doesn't mean I don't love her. Feelings like that don't just go away."

"If you still feel that strongly about her then why break up?"

"It just got too painful. I couldn't get over it and me struggling with it hurt her. We tried to just push through it and it just hurt us both. We've never had that problem when we were...intimate." 

"But if you still love her that much why not just call her?"

"Cause I don't want to interrupt her life. What if she thinks she has a real shot with Carl? I don't want to get between them. I don't want her to settle fer me again."

"She didn't settle for you, she loved you."

"No matter how ye think of it, I don't want to stop something that could be better. He was always more her type anyway."

"You're acting like she's actually dating him. They've only been talking like two days."

"I fell in love with her in five minutes. Two days is plenty of time to fall fer someone." 

"Okay, okay. Well back to the note and the stuff. Why did you send it?"

"Cause that stuff was hers. It doesn't belong to me. It belongs to her."

"So you weren't trying to tell her something? You were just explaining stuff to her?" He sighs.

"Part of it yes and part of it no."

"Like what?"

"Like the rings. I did send them cause Maw wanted her to have them....I just left out the part where she said she wanted her to have them from me."

"Why?"

"Cause of Carl. I didn't want her to feel obligated to call me or to turn down keeping them. And I doubt he would be okay with his girlfriend keeping wedding rings from her ex." She flinched at his words. "But if they're an inheritance from someone who loved her like a daughter then maybe he wouldn't mind. Either way I wanted her to have those...I can't keep looking at them everyday.

"Do you still have yours?"

"Aye." 

"So what about the 'lass' part? Was the on purpose or accident?"

"Accident."

"And the love part?"

"Purpose."

"Your favorite shirt?"

"She won it fair and square."

"The matching shirts?"

"Part of it was it's hers. And part of it might've been to maybe make her think about me once in awhile."

"She doesn't need a shirt for that, she thinks about you all the time."

"I thought she wasn't talking to ye. How do ye know all this stuff?"

"I'm dating her best friend, duh."

"I guess so."

"Okay so here's what we got. You love her, your hurt from your breakup. As for the rings I'm going with you did that and said that cause you love her and still want to marry her one day. Uh, the matching shirts is that you want her to call you cause you miss her, the lass part was an accident, the love part was to tell her you still love her. So am I right?" 

"The matching shirts weren't so she'd call me. It was so she could think about me."

"So you don't want her to call you?"

"I kinda just don't know about that yet."

"But you do still want to marry her?"

"Look, Lottie. I didn't want to breakup. I didn't want to walk away and watch her walk out of my life. I didn't want her to hurt and be in pain cause of me. We broke up cause we needed to. Us being together was hurting her. I can't do that to her. She deserves better. Of course I love her and maybe one day we can get back together. I'm open to the idea but I'm not ready to decide yet. And as fer marrying her, maybe. I just don't think it'll ever happen. I doubt she still loves me and still wants me. And I still don't fully know how I feel. So let's just drop the whole situation as I don't know, alright?"

"Okay." 

"I've got to go now, they're waiting fer me."

"They who?"

"Bye Lottie." He hangs up the phone. Maizie looks at Gary and Lottie.

"That didn't help me at all." _**He still doesn't know what he wants...and honestly neither do I....I guess this is for the best.**_


	12. History Repeats Itself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is back to Bobby's POV.

He looked at the phone after he hung up the phone with Lottie. He sighs and plops down on the bed.

"Fek my life!" Olly walked by his door. 

"Call her and ye won't hate yer life." He was gone before Bobby could reply. _**I can't call her. We agreed not to. What would I even say? It took my days to write that stupid note. And it just confused her. She wouldn't have been confused if I said what I really wanted to. I really wanted to tell her that I love her and miss her. I want her to come back home or I'll go to London. Whatever she wants. I don't care as long as I can be with her.**_ An hour later Gary calls him.

"What?"

"Damn. Hi to you too. What's your problem?"

"Are ye alone? Lottie not around too?"

"Aye, she went to see Maizie."

"....why?......."

"I don't know. Maizie said she wanted to talk to her."

"Did Maizie really cancel her date?"

"Yup. She canceled it after she opened the package."

"Why do I feel bad about that? Like I'm stepping on someone else's toes?"

"If anything, mate, he's stepping on your toes. She apparently told him you two broke up like a month ago. He wasted no time in asking her out."

"I thought ye said this was a good thing?"

"I said might. It doesn't mean I like it. It's just.....until the other night, the night she ran into him. I hadn't heard her laugh since Scotland. But after talking to him she laughed at something stupid I said. I know she still loves you and misses you....but if you don't call her soon you'll lose her for good."

"If she wants to move on she can. She can do whatever she wants now. I'm not her boyfriend, fiancé, husband whatever ye want to call it."

"Well technically-'

"Shut it, Gary."

"Okay but you realize if you let her go you'll have to do it."

"I know."

"Bobby, please call her. Please. She loves you, she wants you. And you love her and want her. I don't know why you didn't just tell Lottie what you tell me."

"Cause I knew she would go tell Maizie." He sighs and lowers his voice.

"You're gonna pretend you don't know a damn thing, alright?"

".....Okay......"

"Maizie already knows everything you said."

"Well I figured that's what Lottie was doing at Maizie's tonight."

"No, mate. We're at Maizie's. You were on speaker. She heard everything you said."

"Woah woah woah. What the fek? Are ye serious right now? She heard me?"

"Yup. Everything you said from start to finish."

"If she was there....why didn't she say anything?"

"She's confused. She loves you and wants to be with you but she thinks you don't want her. She feels like some teenager caught up on her first love. She thinks you're sleeping around and shit."

"But I'm not."

"But she doesn't believe me. Which is why you should call her." Bobby sighs.

"I can't. It just...let's face it Gary. It's over She can move on with Carl. He's her type. He's all smart and handsome and shit."

"She doesn't have a type....except you. Remember what she told Lucas when he said that?" He smiles remembering back to the Villa.

"Aye. She said Scottish bakers with hazel eyes were her type." Gary chuckles. 

"Then she told him unless he made some serious changes in the next twenty-four hours it wouldn't happen for them." Bobby laughs.

"That was such a good burn. I loved when she got an attitude. It was hot. And ye know it was nice seeing her not take anyone's bullshit."

"Oh! Do you remember when she yelled at Elisa??" 

"Yes! That shit was funny!!!! Ohmygod, she went off on her. I take it back, that was hot. It was also the first time she called me her boyfriend."

"And the night you gave her your purple shirt."

"Aye." He smiles sadly, thinking back to the days in the Villa. "I wish we could go back to that....we were stronger then." Gary sighs.

"Mate, you're strong now too. You two just have some figuring out to do. Relationships take work. I can honestly say I've put more work into this relationship with Lottie than I do at my actual job." Bobby chuckles.

"It just didn't work anymore." Gary sighs.

"She's not the same without you. She works and talks to me and that's it. She doesn't talk to the others, she doesn't hang out with anyone. She even tells Nan no. You know she never used to do that. She said she's gone back to her life before the Villa."

"That sounds depressing."

"It is. She needs you and you need her. I know you want to be with her again so just do it."

"I don't even think she wants me anymore. And I don't want to get between her and Carl. Just don't double date...that was our thing." 

"Oh yeah. I'm not doing that. I'm gonna grill him if I ever meet him. Make sure he knows exactly what you two had."

"Gary, don't do that. I want her to be happy more than I want her to be with me. If she's happier with him then that's what she needs to do. And she won't find that out if she doesn't see him. So I won't reach out or anything. As long as she's happy I'm happy." _**Maybe if I say it enough I'll start to believe it.**_ "I've gotta go. But I'll talk to ye later." Gary sighs.

"Alright. Later, mate." He hangs up the phone and looks at Maizie smiling back on his background. His heart felt broken into a million pieces. The next three weeks were a daze to him. He barely remembered functioning right. He knew he went to work and came home but that was it. Big Jonno approached him at work.

"Bobby....call her." He shakes his head.

"I can't."

"Why?" He sighs and stops cutting the potatoes. 

"She's dating again."

"Other people?"

"Aye. In the past three weeks she's been on three dates with him already. Gary said she seems happier." Big Jonno looked at him sadly.

"Bobby." Bobby shakes his head and put down the knife.

"No, don't do that shit to me. Ye know what? I can't do this." He throws off his apron and leaves. He sits in his room the rest of the day listening to music, staring out the window. He somehow slept through the night. He woke up in the morning to see a missed call. _**Maizie???? Why did she call me??????**_ He checked the date and time. _**Today is February the 13th. So it was definitely last night.**_ _ **She should be up but she might be at work already. Should I call her back? What if it's important?**_ He sighs and calls back. "I'm gonna regret this..." A second later she answers.

"Hey Bobby!" His heart flipped hearing her say his name again.

"Hey, lass. Uh, ye called me last night. I wanted to see if everything was okay."

"What? Oh yeah. I called your number by mistake." _**I'm the only B in her phone....**_

"Oh, uh, okay. Um, how are things?"

"They're great! I'm happy and I've started getting flowers again."

"I thought ye hated flowers cause of Alex?"

"Not anymore. These are really beautiful. Better than they were before."

"Oh...well I'm glad yer happy then." She was quite a moment before clearing her throat. Her voice trembled a little.

"Thanks, I'm really happy. But listen, I have to go. It was good talking to you."

"Yeah, same here."

"Okay, well.....goodbye Bobby." He sighs.

"Goodbye, Maizie." He hangs up the phone. The tears started falling before he even knew they were there. His heart felt like it was barely beating. He turns off his phone and heads to the kitchen. He grabs a bottle of scotch and a glass. He sits in his room the rest of the day trying not to think about her. The days and the nights started blending together. He didn't know how many days of work he missed. Every time someone tried to talk to him he'd lock the door and turn up the music. He would barely talk to Oliver. He only talked to him when he went to the kitchen.

"Bobby. I'm worried about ye. Ye haven't gone to work in weeks. Ye don't talk to anybody or answer the phone. When was the last time ye showered?"

"Yesterday."

"Bobby. Ye-"

"Oliver drop it! I'm fine! I just want to be left alone."

"But Bobby-"

"Olly! I said drop it." He goes back to his room, eventually falling asleep. He wakes up to someone kicking his bed.

"Get the fuck up." He groans and turns over. "I'll fucking drag you out of bed. Get up." He looks up and sees Noah.

"What the fek are ye doing here??"

"Gary couldn't get off work, he's been missing too much lately. So I'm here."

"We haven't talked since I found out ye slept with Maizie. What makes ye think I wanna see ye?"

"I don't give a shit if you do or not. I'm here. You can hate me but that doesn't stop me from caring about you. I don't hate you. Now tell me why the fuck Olly is calling us and telling us you haven't been to work in three fucking weeks and all you all day is get drunk."

"What's it matter?"

"It matters because if you don't stop this you're gonna kill yourself. You're gonna drink yourself into the ground. I still think of you as my best friend. And I'm not gonna lose another goddamn best friend like that."

"What're ye even talking about?"

"My cousin Bobby. He drank himself to death. Literally. He went to a party, I didn't go cause I had to be up early the next day. He got so drunk he could barely fucking sit up and his stupid ass decided driving was a good fucking idea. He ran the car into a fucking tree at 90 mph. I lost one best friend to them being a drunken idiot and I'm not losing another. So get the hell out of bed and get in the goddamn shower and sober up before I kick your fucking ass." He looked at Noah shocked.

"Ye've never yelled like this before."

"Cause I haven't been this pissed off in probably my whole fucking life. Get in the shower we'll talk afterwards." He storms out of the room leaving Bobby speechless. Bobby stood up.

"I have no clue what the fek just happened." He took a cold shower and went to the living room. Noah sitting on the couch. Bobby sits down and looks at him. "Did ye really come all this way to yell at me?"

"No. I came to check on you because everyone is worried about you. Even Hope is worried."

"Ye talked to Hope?"

"Yeah, we're doing couples counseling."

"She took ye back?"

"Miraculously, yes she did. But only on her grounds. She would stay with her dad, no sex until she feels comfortable, weekly dates and couples counseling once a week. We've only been together a month." He sat there a minute. _**Did Maizie ask him to come?**_

"Did everyone tell ye to come?" Noah looks at him.

"I don't talk to Maizie." He tried to hide his disappointment. He shrugged to try and fool Noah into thinking he didn't care.

"Well I figured Hope wouldn't want ye too."

"No. No one talks to Maizie."

"What? Why?"

"We don't know. Gary can't even get a hold of her." _**Wait what?**_

"What? Have they tried Carl?"

"Yeah, he hasn't heard from her in weeks." He frowns. _**That's not like her...**_

"So no one has heard from her?"

"Nope."

"Did anyone try going to her flat?"

"She doesn't answer the door. She won't even tell us to go away. Gary even went to her job to see her."

"And?"

"And she told him to leave her alone. She said she was moving on from life in the Villa completely and didn't want to talk to anyone who reminded her of you. She told him she didn't want to be friends anymore?"

"Are ye serious? She told him that? Why haven't I heard this?"

"Cause your stupid ass has been in a drunken daze for weeks. Your phone is always off. How can we if you don't turn your fucking phone on. Which Gary says to call him by the way." He sighs and goes to get his phone. _**Oh shit, it's March 5th It really has been three weeks....what the fek....**_ He dials Gary's number.

"About goddamn fucking time Bobby! What the hell is wrong with you? Why the fuck does it sound like a good goddamn idea to ghost all of us? I've been trying to call you for weeks!"

"Alright alright! I'm sorry! Shit got hard...."

"I realize that but shit hasn't exactly been easy here either. I'm guessing Noah is there."

"Aye. Imagine waking up to Noah yelling at ye."

"I bet he fucking did. And good. You need to be yelled at. You're gonna give me gray hairs. Now have you heard from Maizie?"

"No. She called me a couple weeks ago but not since then."

"Let me guess. That's when you went on your drinking binge?"

"......no........" Noah rolls his eyes.

"He's lying Gary."

"Fucking knew it, mate. Bobby, something doesn't feel right. When I saw her she looked skinnier and shifty. Like she was suspicious of everything. What did she say when you talked to her? Why did she call you?"

"She said it was an accident. She didn't mean to."

"Okay what did you say?"

"I said okay and asked how she was-"

"Sorry Bobby. I've got to go. Talk to Noah about it and update me later." Bobby sighs and hangs up the phone. Noah looks at him.

"Go on. You asked her how she was and what did she say?"

"She said she was doing really good and she was happy."

"Did she sound happy?"

"Yeah. She did..." Bobby looks away and plays with his lip. "She said she was really happy and that she was getting flowers again..." Noah frowns.

"But she hates flowers..."

"I thought so too. But she said the ones she was getting were even more beautiful than they were last time." Noah sits quietly a minute.

"So why did she hate flowers again?"

"Cause Alex used to shower her with gifts and flowers after he hit her. She said they reminded her of him. Why?"

"It's just weird. She never wanted flowers from you even though she loved you and you never gave her a reason to not like them from you. But this new guy she's seen three times it's all of a sudden fine if she gets flowers? She was far more comfortable with you I'm sure." He shrugs.

"Maybe she feels more fer him than she did me."

"I doubt that. You two have something very rare. I've never seen it from anyone else."

"I thought so too. But if she's happy with this guy then that's that. She moved on." Noah sits there a few minutes thinking hard. "Why are ye thinking so hard?"

"There's got to be more to this. Maizie doesn't ghost all of us. Especially Gary. She doesn't even open the door." Bobby thinks a minute. _**If things are so good with Carl why would she shut everyone out? And she stopped talking to him randomly too. Why would she stop talking to literally everyone?**_

"Has anyone talked to her family?"

"They haven't heard from her either. Ainsley moved here and her mum said she doesn't answer her calls anymore. Her mum is visiting their home town right now." **_That's really weird. She always meets her mum fer lunch every week. And she talks to Ainsley all the time._**

"Okay, let's list this out. She said she was happy. She sounded happy, almost too happy but whatever. She said she liked getting flowers again. Then after I talk to her she stops talking to literally everyone. She won't answer the door, she won't answer the phone, she won't even talk to Gary. She loves Gary. He's her best friend. She always felt safer when he was around. She knew he would protect-" He stops and frowns. His eyes grew wide. "Fek, Noah get yer shit. We're going to London."

"What? Why? What's wrong?"

"Noah! Now!" He runs in his room and gets dressed quickly and throws some clothes and toiletries in his bag. He starts to walk out of his room when he sees a piece of paper on his desk. "I'm gonna take this just in case." Bobby calls the airport on the way there. When he hangs up Noah looks at him worriedly.

"Bobby! What the hell is wrong? What's going on?"

"Gary makes her feel safe right?"

"Yeah."

"She knows he'll protect her right?"

"Yeah."

"But then she stops talking to every person in her life right after she tells me she gets flowers."

"Right."

"She hates flowers and I mean _hates_ them."

"Okay."

"But then she starts getting them again."

"Right. She was dating Carl. I think he was just trying to make a good impression." Bobby shakes his head.

"She never said they were from Carl."

"Okay....."

"Noah, why does she hate flowers?"

"Alex used to give them to her when he hit her." His eyes grew wide.

"You don't think-"

"Why else would she tell Gary she doesn't want to be his friend anymore? Why else would she have told me about those flowers? She knows I know she hates them. She called me in the middle of the night but I was asleep. I called her back the next day. Do ye really think she would accidently call me in the middle of the night? Besides, even though we aren't together she wouldn't want to rub her new relationship in my face so she would've never mentioned the flowers unless she's trying to tell me something." Noah frowns.

"I don't know Bobby. That is a whole lot of guessing. People do move on from their traumas. Maybe she reached the point where she was done letting him rule her life. Maybe it was a whole clean slate thing."

"I mean I guess but then explain Gary. She adores him to pieces. She loves him like her own family. She goes to him for literally everything. They even have clothes at each others flats. They keep each others booze on stock. She wouldn't just ghost him like that."

"I don't know. I mean he did keep pressuring her to call you. We all kind of have. So I think maybe she got tired of it and decided to move on." Bobby shakes his head.

"It just doesn't seem possible she could just drop Gary like that. Everyone else I can get but Gary? Nah. I'm not buying it." Noah sighs.

"Okay well what if we get there and you're wrong?"

"Then I'll probably run away so keep the car on." Noah rolls his eyes and smiles.

"No, you should still talk to her. Clear the air, express your feelings, actually tell her what you want instead of writing some poor excuse of a note to try and hint around what you want to tell her." He blushes.

"They told ye about that huh?"

"Yup. I think Rahim could've done better than that, mate." Bobby smiles.

"I didn't think it was that bad."

"Oh it was."

"Okay okay. I was nervous. That took me a whole day to write." Noah looks at him shocked.

"Are you fucking serious, mate? You spent that much time on that??? Wow, you are not good at words are you?"

"Well duh. That's why I'm funny."

"Eh, people usually laugh to make you feel better." Bobby laughs.

"That's cold, mate. I don't make fun of ye fer stuff." After they get to the airport Bobby tries to call Gary. "Damn, no answer. Fek." He looks at Noah. "Ye think he'll answer by the time we get there?"

"I hope so. I'll try Rahim." After a minute he hangs up and shakes head. "No answer." After they finally board their flight and take off Bobby bounces his leg nervously. Noah looks at him. "Hey. It'll be okay. She'll be okay. This is Maizie. She's strong." He chews on his thumbnail.

"Dinnae ken. He really got to her. And if I'm right then who knows how long she's been doing this. How long she's suffered cause my stupid ass couldn't be bothered to listen to her er anyone else." Noah sighs and pats his shoulder.

"Bobby, breathe. Relax. Don't overthink until we know more." Bobby nods takes a deep breath.

"Yer right. Overthinking won't help now." He looks around the plane trying to find something to distract himself. Noah clears his throat.

"Hey, Bobby." He looks at him. "I really am sorry. I swear I don't know what made me think to do that. And I swear I regret everything. I want to at least try and make it right. You really are my best friend." He looks at him for a moment.

"I know ye are. And so far ye seem to be doin alright at making up fer it. Plus, she's hot so it's probably hard fer a lot of lads to not try it on." Noah looks at him shocked.

"Bobby!" Bobby laughs.

"I'm mostly kidding. She is hot though....don't tell her I said that, she'll kill me." Noah laughs.

"Fine, just this once though." Bobby and Noah don't talk much the rest of the flight, they sit in comfortable silence. When they land they each try the boys again. Gary finally picks up.

"Alright, mate. Stop blowing up my phone. What's up?"

"Pick me and Noah up at the airport right now. Right right now. It's urgent, I think I figured out what's wrong with Maizie."

"What?"

"I think she's in trouble. I think he found her."

"I'll be there in twenty." He hangs up and looks at Noah.

"Gary will be here in twenty." He nods.

"Rahim is on his way to Maizie's. He probably won't get there until about we do though. He's quite a bit a ways away." He looks at Noah.

"I've never hoped to be wrong like this. What if I'm not? What if we're too late?"

"Bobby, we will take this one step at a time. Step one: get to London. Step two: get to Maizie's. Step three we'll figure out when we get there." He nods and takes deep breaths. Noah hugs him. "Mate, we've got this." _**Please let me be wrong, please let me be wrong. I'd rather walk in to find her sleeping with another guy than find him there. Please let me be wrong.**_


	13. Chaos

Nineteen minutes later Gary pulls up in front of the airport. They hop in the truck and he heads straight for Maizie's. He glances at them.

"Quick question, are you two fine?"

"Aye, we're good. We talked."

"Sweet. Second question, what's the plan?" Noah and Bobby look at each other.

"We haven't gotten that far. Any ideas?" Gary shrugs.

"Besides, pulling up and walking in there and kicking his ass? Nope." Bobby shakes his head.

"No, I've done this before. We have to be as subtle as possible. And he can't see all of us or see us pull up. He could do something dangerous. One of us needs to go to the door. The rest need to hide nearby. As soon as he answers and we confirm he's hurt her or is hurting her we need to get in there and get him down. And hopefully Maizie will be okay." Gary shrugs.

"So I vote you go to the door."

"Why me?"

"Cause you can distract anyone. And he probably knows all about you two and will automatically rub it in your face that he has her. He's territorial. He'll boast about anything to you. And I know you aren't violent but you are strong and I know for a fact if you see Maizie hurt or cower you'll hit him. So you can protect yourself long enough for us to step in."

"So I'm the bait?"

"In a way yeah." He looks at Gary unamused.

"Thanks, mate. I feel so special." Gary smiles at him.

"Mate, it's not like that. Look. We don't know what it's like there. We don't know what he has done or is doing. But we do know what he will do. Us three can handle him no problem. But someone needs to take care of Maizie and that's you. You'll be the person she'll want to see. Seeing you there will make her feel safe. You're her safe place. You're her comfort. Your job is more important than kicking his ass." Noah shrugs.

"He has a point. You'll be the one that'll make everything feel okay again." Gary sighs.

"Noah, call Rahim and tell him the plan. I'll park two doors down. Tell him to park by me." A few minutes later they pull onto Maizie's street. They park a distance away and gather by the back of the truck. "Okay, we need a back up plan just in case." Noah shrugs.

"Kick his ass?" The boys all look at each other and shrug.

"If the civil plan doesn't work sure. Might as well at that point." He takes a deep breath and walks up to her house, the other lads were hiding behind the bushes. Before Bobby can knock he hears a scream. He listens a second before he hears crying and screaming. He looks back at Gary and meets his eyes and shakes his head. Gary frowns and walks up to door and listens a second, another scream escaping the inside. He whispers to Bobby.

"Plan B it is." Gary kicks down the door and him and Bobby go in first and are met in the living room by a man with short, jet black hair. He had cold, dark brown eyes. Tattoos covered his arms, which unfortunately looked pretty big. He was as tall as Bobby and his arms weren't as big as Gary's but he was still built. He wore black basketball shorts and no shirt, a small scar on his chest. He had bruises and cuts across his body and face, his nose looked like it had just been broken. As angry as he felt, he felt a little pride too. **_She fought back this time._**

"Where's Maizie?" Alex sneered at him.

"You're that wimpy baker she was with. She got smart and left you and now she has a real man." He glares at him, his hatred burning in his chest. The anger pounding in his ears. He takes a confident step towards him and looks him in the eye.

"Ye think hitting a woman makes ye a man? Mate, yer even dumber than I thought. Yer far from a man, a man doesn't need force to keep a good woman like her around. I think ye know how amazing she is and that's why ye treat her the way ye do. Ye don't want her to realize how pathetic ye really are and that she can do a million times better. She saw that a long time ago. I can see ye saw that she doesn't lay down fer anyone anymore. The only thing that kept ye around is we weren't here and ye made damn sure we weren't cause ye knew we had her back. But I can guarantee she won't be without at least one of us again. We aren't letting her fall this time. Ye have two options. Go ahead and try to fight yer way out of here. But in case ye haven't noticed yer out numbered." He looks at the others nervously. "Or ye can walk out of this room and never look back again." He leans towards him without breaking eye contact, his voice lowered to a menacing tone. "I don't believe in violence but I swear on my mum's grave I will bury ye so far in the ground ye'll get to see what hell is like. If I were ye I'd run now before ye get to see it fer yerself. I won't let ye touch her ever again." Alex thinks a moment looking at the four of them, looking back at Bobby.

"You can't take me. I'm bigger than you." Bobby smiles and shrugs, before he punches him as hard as he can in his jaw. He looks down at him on the ground.

"Don't ever underestimate the temper of a Scotsman." He looks at the other boys, they're all staring at Bobby in surprise. "He's yer problem." He turns and goes to her room and sees her on the ground. He runs over to her. "Maizie! Can ye hear me? Maizie..." He moves the hair out of her face and sees all the bruises she has on her. His heart stopped when he saw all the trauma she's been through. He looks down and sees her holding something in her hand. Her grip had loosened enough for him to see she was holding her wedding rings. His heart twisted, making him wince. All confidence and anger evaporated. "Fek, lass. This is my fault..." He gently picks her up and carries her out of the room. Gary had a red mark on his face, but Alex had a black eye already forming. They had him pinned down so he couldn't move a muscle. He looks at Alex, his anger returning. "Ye better hope I never see ye again. I'll make ye my bitch next time." He walks outside as the ambulance pulls up. They immediately take her in the ambulance as him and the other lads talk to the police. He glares at Alex as they walk by with him. 

"I want to press charges, he hit me! They all did!" The officer looks back at Bobby and looks him up and down. He glances at his hand. He realizes his knuckles were starting to bruise. The officer clears his throat.

"I don't see any evidence of him harming you. Those bruises you have looks like the girl was trying to defend herself...she did a hell of a job too." Bobby fights back his smile. He gives Alex a smug look as they put him in the back. He looks back at the officer.

"Are we done? I mean I'm happy to give ye anything ye need, but I really need to go be with her...she's important to me. I need to make sure she's okay." He looks at him a moment.

"I think I've got everything we need but if we need anything else we'll find you at the hospital."

"Thank you so much officer. Oi! Lads! Let's go!" Bobby hops in Gary's truck while Noah gets in Rahim's car. As they drive Gary glances at Bobby and smiles, shaking his head. "What? What's funny?" 

"Mate, I have never seen you so angry before. You were scary. Did you see his face? He damn near pissed his pants when you threatened him." He shrugs.

"I don't like woman beaters. Especially when it's Maizie he hurt."

"That was a helluva punch too. If she didn't need you I think you could've dealt with him on your own." Bobby smiles. 

"Lucky shot."

"Or it's the angry Scotsman. You knocked him to the fucking ground! Goddamn Bobby. That was awesome to watch. You should've heard the lads after you left, mate. I don't think either of them expected to see that side of you either."

"Neither did I. I saw him and it just...happened. Dinnae ken. Did ye see his nose though? Gary, she fought back. Her knuckles were beat up too. She fought back this time." Gary smiles.

"It's a really shitty situation but I can't lie...I'm proud of her for her standing up to him." Bobby nods.

"Me too." He looks down, thinking about when he found her. Gary glances at him.

"What's wrong?"

"I think this happened today cause of me."

"Why?"

"She had her wedding rings in her hand when I found her." Gary's face gets serious.

"It's not your fault Bobby. You need to know that. This isn't anyone but Alex's fault. He made the choice to hurt her, no one else." He doesn't say anything else, he just stares out the window. Finally they make it to the hospital, hopping out of the truck as soon as it stops. He runs up to the front desk in the emergency room.

"A woman just came in, Maizie Blackwood. Do ye know what's going on with her?" Just then everyone else runs into the lobby. He looks back and sees Lottie, Gary, Hope, Noah and Rahim running towards him. Lottie looked at him.

"So?" He looks back at the nurse.

"Is she here yet? Do ye know what's going on?"

"Sir, we can't release any information right now unless your family. Unfortunately, I've met her family many times. Unless you're her long lost brother I'm afraid you have to wait."

"No, I need to know if she's okay. Please."

"I'm sorry, Sir. Only family." He sighs.

"Goddamn it, I am her family." The nurse raises her eyebrow. He looks at him. "We're legally married. I can get our marriage license out of the truck if I need to. I'm her husband." The nurse looks at him a moment.

"Okay. She's in surgery now, it's touch and go. She has a brain bleed and internal bleeding as well. She coded in the ambulance. Someone will update you as soon as they can." He sighs and turns around. He paces back and forth. He looks up and everyone is staring at him.

"What?" Lottie raises her eyebrows. He blushes and scratches the back of his head nervously. "Oh....yeah....we got married by the way." There's a sea of groans and obscenities. Rahim rolls his eyes.

"No shit, mate. We figured out that much. What we want to know is when? How? Where?" He sighs and looks at them.

"I'll get into that later...right now I don't have the headspace fer this." Everyone looked between each other before they sat down. Hours went by before someone came out to talk to him. He stood on his feet quickly.

"Are you the husband?"

"Aye, I'm Bobby."

"I'm Doctor Stevens. I've treated her a few times."

"Wow, she meant it when she said ye all knew her." He smiles sadly and sighs.

"Unfortunately, yes."

"How is she?" He looks at the doctor anxiously.

"It was a bit rough. She has a brain bleed, a broken collar bone, broken hand, broken shoulder, her ribs are severely bruised and the ones on her left side are also broken. The trauma to the ribs caused her spleen to bleed. Which caused quite a few complications. Her cheek under her left eye is broken and her throat is bruised. She has a collapsed lung as well. It's going to be a rough time but so far we're on the right track. Keep in mind things can change, but we'll keep doing everything we can." He looks at him, tears streaming down his face.

"When can I see her?" He looks around at everyone standing beside Bobby.

"She's not awake but you can wait in her room if you'd like. No more than two at a time." Bobby nods.

"Thank you, Doctor." Bobby looks at all of them. "Me and Gary are gonna go wait awhile. We'll talk to ye soon." Gary walks silently beside him as they go to her room. He stops just outside of the door and freezes. Gary looks at him, worriedly.

"Bobby? Are you okay, mate?" He shakes his head. "What's wrong?"

"The last time I went into a hospital room I lost Maw. This time I could lose Maizie. Gary, what if she doesn't make it? I don't think I can survive this." He looks Gary in his eyes. "I can't lose her, Gary. She's everything to me." Gary hugs him.

"Mate, don't talk like that. You have to believe she can make it out of this. This is Maizie. She walked away from you because she knew she was just hurting you, even though it hurt her just as much to walk away. She stood up to that asshole and fought back. She's stronger than anyone I know. She can do this but she needs you to believe it too." He looks at him and nods. "Are you ready to go in there?" He looks at him a minute before he nods. He takes a deep breath and walks in. His chest aches when he sees her laying there in the hospital bed. He slowly walks over to her side and looks at her. He looks over her, staring at all the bruises, cuts, bandages, IV's. He looks at her face, barely recognizing her. She looked so broken and fragile, not like the vibrant strong Maizie he knew. _**How far does this set her back? How much will she change? Will she even want me here when she wakes up? Will she even wake up? She has to wake up. I don't care if she doesn't want to be with me or want me here. She needs to wake up. I can't handle losing her like this...not like this.**_ He gently touches her cheek, rubbing where her dimples should be.

"Don't leave me, lass." Gary pulls up a chair to him and he sits down. For a long time neither of them say anything. They just sit there in silence, listening to the machines. He clears his throat. "Remember that time she convinced all of us to play hide and seek?" Gary laughs.

"I honestly haven't had that much fun playing that game since I was a kid. She always had us do dance parties and shit at the Villa."

"At home too. She's always the life of the party even when she's not tryin to be." Gary nods.

"Do you remember the night we all sat at the firepit crackin jokes?"

"The night after Operation Nope? Aye. That's by far one of my favorite memories of the Villa. I loved seeing everyone together that night."

"That was a really great night. I think that's the night we all kind of became a family." 

"Our big misfit dysfunctional family."

"Is that what Maizie calls it?"

"Aye. She adores our family. She didn't get a family like that growing up so that's why this family means so much to her." He sits there quietly a few moments. 

"What do you think she'll say when she finds out you told everyone you're married?"

"Dinnae ken. Things are so complicated right now. When we broke up I knew we weren't really broken up...but then she started dating Carl. I debated about filing fer divorce or not...I wanted to give her that freedom to do what she wanted and not feel obligated with me. But every time I went to do it I would chicken out."

"I don't think she wants that."

"What, a divorce? What about Carl? I'm not down to be the husband while she has a boyfriend too."

"It's not serious. She told him she couldn't do serious and didn't want to be exclusive or anything. I think she was just waiting on you." Bobby sighs.

"I really hope she still wants me. I wanted her to come back as soon as she left. I hate being away from her. And picturing her with Carl....it kills me. What if she decides he's better than me? What if he convinces her to divorce me. I know things are weird between us but I still love her. I meant it when I said I'll love her ferever." The doctor comes in and checks on her.

"Well, she's stable and so far her test came back fairly normal, heartbeats are normal. Right now it's waiting to see if she wakes up." Bobby and Gary look at each other. Bobby looks back at the doctor.

"So could it be the concussion or the meds?"

"It could be either or both. In this situation it's hard to tell." Gary stands up. 

"I'll go let everyone know what's going on. Do you want me to send anyone in here?" He shrugs.

"Doesn't really matter to me. If someone else wants to come in they can." He nods and leaves the room. He looks at the doctor. "Do ye think she can make it?" He thinks for a long moment.

"I think the body is a miraculous thing. We've done what we can medically and will continue to do so. But this might be her fight. It's hard to say for sure though." He sighs and looks at her again.

"Thank ye, fer everything." 

"Of course. I'll give you some time alone before the next visitor arrives. I will say it's nice to see her with such a big support system this time. Although, I am a bit confused on why he was there if you two are married."

"It's really complicated. We broke up back in August and got back together in October. Then we got married on Halloween and sort of separated about four weeks later after finding out about some stuff that happened when we broke up in August. We agreed to give each other some space so I didn't realize he was here or even out. Otherwise I would've tried to get her to come home or let me come here. Or even let one of them stay with her...I shouldn't have left her alone this long...I should've called. I should've come sooner." Doctor Stevens sits next to Bobby.

"I try not to get emotionally invested with my patients. It can become very difficult to do my job to the best of my ability if I'm invested in it. But sometimes it's hard not to. You meet some patients that you can't help but love. Maizie is one of those patients. You can't help but love her. There's something about her that just makes everyone smile. She's kind, caring, smart, funny. She can make a bad day better by just talking to you." Bobby smiles.

"That's why I fell in love with her. I tried not to but she made it impossible not to. Everyone that has met her has loved her. My mum especially. My mum adored her, she treated her like family before we even got married. Maizie went to my home in Scotland and stayed with us to help take care of our home and my mum so my brother and I could work. I love that about her. She's so selfless and caring. She'd give the clothes off her back to someone if they needed it. She's the most amazing person I've ever met in my life." Doctor Stevens smiles and stands.

"Then it sounds like to me she's got more worth fighting for this time. I'll be back in a bit to check on her."

"Thank ye, Doctor Stevens." He smiles and leaves him alone with her. He looks at her and gently takes her hand. "I always told ye everyone could see how amazing ye are even when ye couldn't. Ye may not have known it but ye've always been someone everyone can count on. Someone that could cheer anyone up. Even Lottie....please come back to me....please wake up...." He kisses her hand and lays his head on his arms as he looks at her. The last thing he remembers is holding her hand before he hears machines going off. He sits up abruptly as the nurses start coming in. A nurse with bright red hair and blue eyes looks at the machines.

"Page Doctor Stevens, now! Her pressure is dropping." A second later the doctor comes in and does a quick look over of her. He feels around her abdomen. 

"She's bleeding again. We've got to get her to an OR stat." He looks at Bobby as they wheel her out. "We'll update you as soon as we know something." He stands there after they turn the corner. He felt like he couldn't breathe and nausea hit him hard as he stood there. He walks out to the lobby and runs past everyone to go outside. Once he's outside he leans his hand against a pillar and closes his eyes, taking deep breaths. He fights back the nausea, trying not to think about what he'd just seen. He hears someone walk up next to him.

"You alright, mate?" He shakes his head. He looks up and sees Noah standing there. Bobby sits down on the ground and puts his head in his hands.

"She started bleeding from somewhere again. Her blood pressure was dropping so they took her back for emergency surgery." Noah sits next to him. "Noah, I can't lose her. I won't survive this. I'm still dealing with losing Maw. It's been two months since Maw passed. I can't lose Maizie too." 

"Mate, we'll make it through this. No matter what happens we've got your back. You have so many people standing with you right now. And not just us." Bobby looks at him confused. 

"Like who?" He smiles and stands up holding out his hand. He gets up and follows him inside. He freezes when he sees everyone there. Not just Lottie, Hope, Gary, Rahim and Noah. But so was Priya, Chelsea, Lucas, Henrik, Jo, Shannon, Elijah, Arjun, Marisol. He looks at all of them slowly.

"Ye _all_ came?" Priya smiles at him.

"Of course we came, babes. You two are our family. You two are the glue that holds us all together. And she's your glue. You can't have one without the other. She's the matching mittens to your apron." Lucas smiles and nods.

"We all came as soon as we could. We stand together. And we might take turns so we can all go shower and eat, but there will always be a group of us here for you." Bobby tried to swallow the lump in his throat, his eyes watering again. Chelsea stands.

"We're here to support you both and take care of you. Because we know you put your loyalty above everything else...including eating and sleeping. So we've agreed one person is to be with you in there at all times to make sure you're taken care of too. And we'll give you your moments alone with her if you'd like but only if you've eaten and rested. You can't help her if you forget to help yourself." Henrik takes Chelsea's hand and smiles at her, making her blush. He looks back at Bobby.

"So what do you need right now? Food? Water? Change of clothes?" Bobby looks at them all, smiling.

"I don't know what to say." Gary raises his eyebrows.

"That's a shocker. You always have some smartass comment hidden somewhere." Bobby laughed.

"Shut up, dumbass."

"Whatever you say. I don't want to see the angry Scotsman again." Noah looks at Bobby with wide eyes again.

"Mate. That was some seriously scary shit. I've never seen you that pissed before...and I've seen you really pissed." Bobby blushes and smiles. Elijah looks at Bobby.

"Angry Scotsman? Please tell us about that one." Arjun looks at Elijah.

"If there's time. What's going on with her?" Bobby looks at Arjun a little unsure. Arjun stands. "Oh, I'm sorry. We haven't officially met. But I have heard a lot about you. And I am really excited to meet you...even under the circumstances. I'm Arjun." He walks up to Bobby and holds out his hand. Bobby shakes it smiles at him.

"Nice to meet ye, mate. I've heard a lot about ye too." He glances at Elijah. "Maizie adores ye both. She's trying to think of a good ship name." Arjun blushes. "So...are there anymore Casa Amor lads coming?" He looks at Arjun and Elijah. Noah clears his throat.

"He means Carl. He wants to know if someone has talked to Carl." Arjun and Elijah share a glance. Elijah stands and walks over.

"Um, well...I mean...I texted him. I'm sorry, it's not cause I like him with her...it's cause he's my friend too and I know he'd want to know." Arjuna puts a hand on Elijah's shoulder.

"It was my idea really. So if you need to be mad at anyone be mad at me. I'm sorry too. I know he isn't exactly you're favorite right now." Bobby sighs and looks at Noah a moment before clearing his throat.

"I'm not mad. If he wants to come I can't stop him, and I won't. But I don't have the headspace to fight with her boyfriend about who's gonna be in there. Legally all medical decisions are made by me and I won't fight him fer it. We're legally married so he doesn't have a leg to stand on. I don't care if he wants to be here. But I do care if he tries to get into what's going on with me and Maizie." Marisol clears her throat.

"Speaking of that...you two are married?"

"Aye..."

"When? How?" Hope nods.

"Yeah! Can you tell us that much right now? While we wait?" Bobby sighs.

"It was the day we got engaged actually." Lottie raises her eyebrows.

"What day was that? We don't even know when that was." 

"It was the day Maw went into the hospital and all of ye came to see us. It was on Halloween." Lottie smiles.

"I love it."

"I had just proposed to Maizie and she said yes just as I got a call from Olly. After that we went straight to the hospital. After Maw woke up and asked us to go in there alone first, we told her we were engaged. Maizie had taken off the ring cause she wanted the focus to be on Maw, not us. That's also why we didn't tell anyone....except Gary." Lottie glares at Gary.

"You knew!!!"

"Well yeah. I was their witness....." Lottie swats his arm.

"You asshole." 

"Ow!" Bobby smiles.

"Lozza, relax! It wasn't that we didn't want to...just that Maw was more important. And we made him swear not to say anything. But back to the story. After we told her she was so happy...and then she got sad. She was sad she wasn't gonna get to see us get married. And Maizie had my Da's ring on the necklace still, I had the matching wedding band to her engagement ring. So we just decided to get married that day so Maw could see it. We knew we wanted to marry each other no matter what so why not?" Hope frowns slightly.

"So do you regret it? Marrying her?" Rahim nods.

"Yeah, I mean this really complicates things. She's married to you but dating Carl?" Bobby sighs.

"It is really complicated. So when we broke up we had a conversation, through Gary, and kind of decided we'd still keep the marriage a secret. We decided having some space between us would be best. We agreed to try and figure ourselves out again and think seriously about how to fix this. And we told each other to do whatever makes each other happy. We kind of gave each other hall passes...so I knew it was possible that she would start seeing someone else. I hated it but I knew. I mean this is Maizie. She's gorgeous and sweet and amazing and funny. No way was a guy gonna hear her and her 'boyfriend' broke up and take their shot. I just don't know how serious it got with them. So I don't know where that leaves us." Arjun looks down as he spoke.

"So why did you two even break up in the first place?" Bobby and Noah make eye contact, saying nothing. Bobby sighs.

"We broke up once in August...during that time she slept with someone else. And I knew this person really well. I was hurt that she told me I'd be the only one and then I find out she slept with this guy. It stung cause he was my friend too. I knew I loved her and tried to push past it but it was just too much. It created a wall between us that we couldn't ignore. We knew we still loved each other but we just needed some space to work through this. Trying to force each of us to stay together was hurting us more than anything." Marisol leans forward.

"But do you regret marrying her?" He doesn't hesitate.

"No. She always has been, still is and always will be the love of my life. I still want to be married to her. I just don't know what she wants." Elijah sighs.

"What if she wants a divorce?"

"Then I'll do it. I've always told her this stops when she says it stops. I told her if she doesn't to be with me then I won't force anything. I'll let her walk away. Just cause we're married doesn't mean I'm gonna have more of a say with what she does with her life. It's still her life to choose. It'll hurt but that's life. She's had enough of someone trying to force her to do stuff." Rahim smiles.

"She definitely had enough. Did you see his nose?" Lucas looks around at them.

"So are we gonna hear about when you guys went there?" Noah, Gary, Rahim and Bobby smile and make eye contact. Gary starts it off.

"So we made a plan to just go there, have Bobby talk to him and then us three would go in and basically beat the shit out of him. And Bobby would find Maizie. But when we got there he heard screaming so I kicked the door in." Rahim carries on the story.

"As soon as we're in this guy runs into the living room. Bobby asks where Maizie is, right? And this guy." He chuckles. "This guy said Bobby was the wimpy baker she left and how he was a real man. And then Bobby told him off. Tell them what you said Bobby." Bobby blushes and clears his throat.

"I said a real man doesn't hit a woman or use force to keep her around. I told him he knows she's amazing and that's why he treated her the way he did, he didn't want her to realize he was pathetic and could do a million times better. I told him he had two choices." Noah smiles.

"This is my favorite part." Bobby smiled and kept going.

"He could try and fight us, even though there was four of us and one of him. Or he could leave and never come back. I told him I don't believe in violence but I swear on my mum's grave I will bury him so far in the ground he'll get to see what hell is like. If I were him I'd run now before he get to see it fer himself." Henrik's mouth dropped.

"Oh shit, no way." Gary shushes him.

"It gets even better." Bobby rolls his eyes.

"He said I wouldn't do anything cause he was bigger than me." Rahim nods.

"He was though." Bobby looked at him.

"Can I finish lads? Anyway, he said I wouldn't try anything. So I hit him." Gary bounces with excitement.

"He hit him so hard he fell to the ground. Bobby, the bloke who hates fighting and violence. Hit this guy, who was easily double his weight in muscle, so hard he fell to the fucking ground. And then Bobby said never underestimate an angry Scotsman. And then, and then when Bobby came back out with Maizie he looked him dead in the eye and told him he better hope Bobby doesn't see him again or he'll make him his bitch!" Chelsea gasps.

"We're talking about this Bobby, right?" Marisol bites her lip.

"My my, you are full of surprises." He blushes as she looks him up and down again. Noah looks at him.

"Mate, not fair. Not again." Bobby laughs and shrugs.

"That's Maizie's call...not mine." Gary stares at him.

"That's so not fair. I can't believe it happened twice." Bobby shook his head.

"Once. Ye walked in the second time." Priya raises her eyebrows.

"What're we talking about?" Noah leans towards Bobby.

"Can I tell them?" Bobby looks at him.

"Ye weren't even there." 

"I was right before it happened. When you made the rest of us leave." He looks at Marisol who blushes and shrugs.

"I'll take the blame for this one. Bobby, Maizie and I had a threesome okay?" Everyone's jaws dropped. Bobby blushes and scratches the back of his head, looking away. Priya gasps.

"Are you serious? Maizie was okay with this?" Bobby shrugs.

"Hey, she came and asked me to do it. It was her idea...well it was Marisol's idea and Maizie agreed and then she asked me." Lottie looks at Gary.

"Wait, you knew about this?" Gary shrugged.

"I was saying goodbye to him and then they both turned the corner in the knickers and pulled him away from us." Chelsea bites her lip.

"I didn't know that was an option." Henrik and Bobby's heads snapped up to look at her. Lucas gapes at Bobby.

"Mate, I don't know how you do it." Gary frowns.

"Neither do I. How do you get all these birds to want you?" Bobby smiles.

"I have no tricks. I'm just likeable I guess. I don't hide my intentions. When I was a man whore I always told them it'd be nothing more than sex and they still went fer it." He shrugs. "But I officially feel awkward now so I'm gonna go wait in the room and try to ferget this conversation happened. And I'd appreciate it if ye all did too. Marisol, no saucy details, Noah update them on Maizie and Lottie come with me. Also someone text me if Carl shows up." Lottie and Bobby go back to her room and wait. Lottie clears her throat.

"So that was an interesting conversation." He blushes.

"It bounced around a lot didn't it?" She smiles.

"Found out a whole lot about you." He smiles and looks away. "Don't be embarrassed. It's nice seeing this side of you again. I missed this Bobby." He sighs.

"He probably won't be around fer long. Life keeps taking him down." She sighs.

"I know. Things are tough but I promise you'll get a break in between at some point." A nurse walks in.

"Are you Bobby, Maizie's husband?"

"Aye."

"I've come to update you on her." His face falls. "She's doing better now, they're almost done closing her up." He breaths a sigh of relief. He looks up and sees her face.

"If it went okay, why do ye still look like there's bad news?" The nurse looks at him and sighs.

"The surgeries went okay...but I'm sorry she lost the baby." His jaw drops.

"Baby????? What baby?? There was a baby?? She was pregnant??? How far along???" He looked at Lottie. "Did she say baby???" Lottie stared at him shocked. The nurse looks at him confused.

"I assumed you knew....she was fifteen weeks along...." He stood up and paced the room.

"Hold on...yer telling me she pregnant...yer telling me...." He tries to take a deep breath. "Ye mean I was....we...." He tried to take another deep breath. Lottie stands up.

"Bobby...are you okay?" He shakes his head, bent over.

"No....I can't breathe...nauseous...." The nurse grabs some oxygen and sits him down. When he finally catches his breath he looks at the nurse. "She was pregnant?" She nods. He looked at Lottie. "Did ye know?" She shales her head. 

"But I can go get Gary. He might've known."

"Dinnae ken. I think that's something he would've told me. Especially since we went to get her away from her abusive psycho ex-boyfriend. He'd give me a heads up that it would be a possibility." The nurse stands up.

"I'm going to leave you two to talk. If you have anymore questions let me know." He nods and looks back at Lottie.

"Go get Gary and don't tell anyone about this. Fer all we know she could've not known." She nods and runs out of the room. A second later Gary runs in.

"What's wrong? Are you okay? Is she okay?" Bobby takes a deep breath with the oxygen again. "Why do you have that? Are you okay, mate?" He shakes his head and looks at him.

"Gary....did ye know she was pregnant?" Gary's eyes go wide.

"What!? She was pregnant??? How far along???"

"So I take that as a no. She was fifteen weeks."

"Wait...was?"

"She lost the baby in surgery." His face softens.

"Bobby....I'm sorry." Bobby sighs.

"I thought I was confused before but, mate, I'm more confused now."

"Don't hate me for this and it should be obvious, but it was definitely yours then?"

"Fifteen weeks. We've been separated fer fourteen weeks...." They're quiet a moment, he slowly starts to come to terms with the news. He sighs and looks at Gary. "Gary...we were gonna have a baby...I was gonna be a dad..." He looks down at the ground. "Was." Gary sits next to him and puts a hand on his shoulder. 

"I'm really sorry, mate."

"I hope she didn't know. If she knew she'll be crushed. I mean she'll still find out but at least if she didn't know she wasn't too attached...right? Do ye think it would be better that way?" Gary sighs.

"Honestly, I think no matter which way she's gonna be crushed. She really really wanted to be a mum...she's wanted kids really bad for most of her life. And she had that chance and it got taken away." He sighs and rubs his face. He rest his elbows on his knees, holding his head in his hands.

"Gary...I don't know what to do. What if this makes her pull away?" Gary thinks a moment.

"I wish I knew. I don't have a clue how she'll feel about you right now...and this baby thing....just makes it more complicated. She'll either turn to you for comfort or away from you from pain."

"That's what scares me." They sit in silence until they pull her back into the room. He looks at the doctor.

"We found the bleeding and stopped it. It took a while to locate it, it was bleeding quite a bit. And then it was tough to repair but we got it done...however that resulted in the loss of your baby...I'm sorry." 

"Yeah, about that. Have ye known this whole time?"

"Well, yeah. Didn't you?"

"Uh, no."

"We had a fetal monitor on her...and I said heartbeats...." Bobby pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Okay, um, I've never been around a little baby and I've never seen a fetal monitor so I have no clue what it looks like. And I didn't hear a heartbeat I just heard beeping from the normal heart monitor."

"Well we silenced it so that it didn't get confused with the other monitors. But I'm sorry you didn't know...I thought you would've known."

"I haven't talked to her in three weeks. And when I did it was when she was trying to give me a clue that he was there but she couldn't say anything obvious cause he was there. If she knew she couldn't say it in front of him. So how could I know? I don't even know how to process this right now. We hadn't planned on kids fer a while. I mean in the future yeah but not yet. Like in the next five years plans. I don't even know what to do right now. Does she know? Was she gonna tell me? Was she gonna keep it? That's dumb, she would definitely keep it. This is something she wants. She's gonna be crushed she lost it either way. Rather she knew or not this is gonna destroy her. How am I even supposed to deal with this right now? What am I supposed to do? I wanna know exactly when this happened? Can ye pin point that? What-" The doctor and Gary yell at the same time.

"Bobby!" He stopped and looked at them both. Gary sighs.

"Mate, relax. You're gonna make yourself hyperventilate or pass out. Yes, this sucks. But as far as her knowing, we won't find out until she wakes up. So sitting here letting your mind scramble isn't gonna solve anything." Bobby frowns.

"I liked Lottie in here with this news. She didn't talk."

"You're right. She just watched you get to the point you couldn't breathe.....don't tell her I said that. I'm not sleeping on the couch at home." Bobby smiles.

"Ye moved in together?" 

"Yeah, we did."

"I'm so happy for ye!" He hugs him. The doctor leans over to Gary.

"Should I be worried he bounces around things like that? Is this back and forth normal for him?" Gary nods.

"Yeah, he's constantly filled with nervous energy. When he gets all squirrely he bakes but obviously he can't bake here so his conversations are going all over the place." Bobby looks at them unamused.

"I'm right here ye know. I'm gonna tell Maizie on both of ye." Gary rolls his eyes.

"Ah, come off it. You'll be fine. You're a grown lad." Bobby gets a text and looks at his phone.

"Carl's here..." The doctor looks at them confused.

"Carl is...?" Gary sighs.

"Carl is Maizie's boyfriend." The doctor stares at Bobby. Bobby nods.

"Yeah, I told ye it was complicated. She started dating this lad during our separation before Alex found her."

"I swear this becomes more and more like a soap opera each time I walk in here." Gary rubs his neck.

"Mate, tell me about it. It's been like this their whole relationship. You should've seen them in the Villa. Every other day they were fighting or breaking up." Bobby raises his hands.

"Oi! ye can stop that now! Anyway, Gary what should we do about Carl? Bring him in here, go talk to him? What do ye think?" Gary looks at Maizie for a minute.

"I don't know. What would she say?"

"She probably would have thrown something at me by now. The way the past couple days have been who knows. I think she would want him to know what's going on." He looks at Gary. "Bring him in. Doctor Stevens can we have some privacy?" The doctor nods.

"At this point, gladly. I'll come check on her in a bit. No fighting by the way." He smiles at Bobby. Gary sighs. 

"Alright, mate. I'll tell him to come in." He walks out leaving Bobby alone with Maizie. He sighs and sits next to her on the bed and takes her hand.

"Lass, we need ye to wake up. Shits hitting the fan and I don't know what to do. Ye were always the clear thinker in times like this. I have a thousand questions and only ye can answer them." A few minutes later he hears a voice behind him.

"Ohmygod. Maizie!" _**Fek. This isn't gonna go well.**_ He turns and sees a tall guy there with short black hair and blue eyes. He had a strong jaw and broad shoulders. His fit white t-shirt made his muscles look pretty big. _**Of course this is the guy she dates after me. Talk about an upgrade. Shit.**_


	14. Sticky Situation

Carl walks slowly to the side of Maizie's bed.

"What happened? Is she okay?" Bobby sighs.

"First I need to know what she's told ye about her past."

"Not a lot really. She talked about you a lot." He tried to control his heart from skipping.

"Did she ever say anything about Alex?" Carl frowns.

"No, who's Alex?"

"Generally I wouldn't say anything about this. This isn't my story to tell but considering the circumstances ye kinda need to know so ye know what's going on. I think she'd fergive me this time. Alex is her only other boyfriend besides me. He was her first boyfriend. Long story short he abused her. In every way. When we met she was still trying to find her footing in life and trying to find herself again. But since then she's made tremendous progress in recovering from the trauma of being with him. He was arrested and put in jail. But when she stopped talking to ye is when he found her. She didn't talk to ye cause he wouldn't let her talk to anyone. He made her push anyone who could help her away, even Gary. And this-" He motions to Maizie. "Is why. She was unconscious when I found her. She hasn't been awake at all the whole time I've been her which is since she came in. He was arrested again, but that's all I know on that. She has a bunch of broken bones, her spleen was bleeding...twice, she has a brain bleed, collapsed lung and bruises all over her. She's been to the OR twice now. They're confident they fixed the problem and we're just waiting on her to wake up." Carl looks at Maizie, tears coming to his eyes.

"How did you know this was happening?" He sighs.

"About three weeks ago she called me in the middle of the night. I didn't answer though and called her back the next day, when she should've been at work. She answered and it was just normal polite conversation that ye have with someone ye don't know. It's not a conversation we would have. And then she mentioned flowers. She said she was getting flowers again and they were more beautiful than before. At the time I thought she meant ye were giving her flowers. And then Noah came to Glasgow and when we were talking it dawned on me what she was trying to say. Alex, her ex, would always give her flowers after he hurt her. That's why she hated them. So when she said she was getting flowers again that was her trying to tell me he was there. And the comment about them being more beautiful was her telling me it was worse this time."

"So how did she come to the hospital? How did she get saved?"

"Well I didn't figure this out until a couple days ago. I immediately came back with Noah, we called Rahim and Gary and the four of us went over there. The other three took care of him until the police arrived while I got her outside and gave her to the paramedics. After talking to the police we came here and I've been here since then."

"Why am I just now hearing about this?"

"Cause none of us had yer number. And we were more focused on her fer a while."

"Elijah and Arjun are here and they texted me."

"Mate, I didn't call them. I don't know who did, I didn't know everyone out there was out there until a couple hours ago. I've been in here with her. I've managed to pull myself away long enough to change clothes, that's it. Maizie is the priority." Carl stands there a minute.

"Well, I appreciate you looking after her. I'm glad she's okay. You can go now, I'll update you on everything." Bobby raises his eyebrows.

"What about if they need a medical decision made?"

"I'll call her mum."

"Do ye have her mum's number?"

"Well, no. But I imagine one of them out there do."

"Either way her mum isn't the one who gets to decide. I am." He frowns at Bobby and crosses his arms.

"How do you figure that? Cause you were engaged?"

"Wow, she didn't tell ye. I thought she would've told ye since ye were dating."

"Told me what?"

"Mate, we're married. Like husband and wife married. I'm the one that makes those decisions and signs the papers." He stares at Bobby, his mouth hanging open. "And before ye ask no, we have not filed fer divorce. So far divorce hasn't been an option."

"If you two are married, why is she dating?" Bobby sighs.

"Long story short we both agreed we needed some space and gave each other a hall pass. So she was free to do whatever with whoever and I couldn't hold it against her and same with me."

"So do you-"

"Have a girlfriend? No. And I haven't slept with anyone either. She's the only one I want."

"Then why haven't you tried to get back with her?"

"We agreed to not talk fer a while so neither of us felt pressured. And when I heard she was seeing ye I thought I'd give her a chance to figure things out. I imagine she's very confused about us right now. And by us I mean yer included. Looks like we've found ourselves in a love triangle, mate." Carl rubs his face.

"I swear I always have to pick the girl that comes with the most drama." Bobby frowns.

"Hey, she does not come with drama. She just hasn't had the best of luck. She's had a tough life."

"Apparently."

"The question ye should be asking yerself is how committed to her are ye? Are ye willing to pursue anything if she wants to?" Carl thinks a a minute.

"The second I saw her at Casa Amor I felt something. And I knew she was the one I wanted to graft on. And every moment I spent with her after that, I just liked her more and more. And then I see her again and she's single and I have a chance. She seemed to like me, I thought we could have a real go of this."

"Do ye still think that? If she decides she wants a divorce and wants to try it out with ye, do ye think ye can still have that?"

"Would you even agree to a divorce?"

"Of course. I mean I hope she doesn't want one. I still love her and want to be with her, I have this whole time. I've just been trying to give her space to make the decision on her own. He took away her freedom. She couldn't decide anything fer herself. So letting her decide is what's important. I've told her since the beginning the only way this ends is if she wants it to end. So regardless of how I feel if she wants a divorce I'll give it to her. What I want doesn't decide her future." 

"I really wanted to hate you...but I can't." Bobby smiles.

"I've been told the same about her. This lass, Elisa, was trying to graft on me but obviously I wanted Maizie. She told me she wanted to hate Maizie, but she couldn't." Carl smiles.

"I've never met one person who hated her. Half the guys at Casa Amor wanted her...actually all except one." 

"I figured as much. I've always told her she was amazing. I told her every lad wants his chance. She never believed me though. Not until recently at least. Same thing at the Villa though. Gary liked her when we all first met, Noah fancied her but was too shy to say anything, Rahim, Marisol and I openly grafted on her. Rocco thought he won already when she picked him. And of course Lucas, Henrik and Jakub fancied her. Everyone sees how special she is." 

"Except her. She doesn't see it."

"Tell me about it. She's as perfect as they come and she can't even see it."

"I wish she could though. I mean she is confident in herself but I don't think she realizes just what she has to offer."

"Aye. She's getting there though. It's like each day she sees it more and more."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Ye've already asked me a dozen questions already. I think asking about asking questions at this point is pointless." Carl smiles.

"Alright, true. Anyway, if Gary fancied her how did they become best friends?" He sighs.

"At first he really liked her, she didn't realize it though. He said he saw that there was something between us, something apparently no one else had and he didn't want to get between it. Everyone always said they knew we would end up together before we did. But once he started talking to her they quickly developed a strong bond much like a brother and sister. He was the first person she told about her past. He became protective of her like a big brother."

"Isn't he both shorter and younger?"

"Aye, but don't get me started on that. We've had that conversation a dozen times. I swear if ye tell him that he'll go on fer ages about it." Carl laughs.

"Figures." 

"That's why they're such great friends. They're both stubborn as can be." Maizie groans.

"You're stubborn too." They both look at her surprised. Bobby takes her hand gently.

"Lass?" She opened her eyes slowly. She groans.

"Fuck me head hurts." Her eyes go wide and she sits up looking around frantically. She winces and puts a hand on her shoulder. Her heart monitor showed her heart started racing. He looked at Carl.

"Go tell the red head nurse to page Doctor Stevens." He runs out of the room. Bobby looks at her. "Maizie, babe. Look at me." She looks at Bobby. "It's okay, yer safe. Yer with me in the hospital it's okay. Yer safe." She leans back, staring at him.

"What happened? Where is he?" He sighs.

"He was arrested. Gary, Noah, Rahim and I went to yer flat and they took him down. I found ye unconscious in yer room."

"What day is it?" He frowns.

"I honestly don't know. I've been having Noah tell me." She raises her eyebrows.

"Noah? How long have I been out? Since when do you and Noah talk now?"

"There is a whole lot that's happened. But right now let's focus on making sure yer okay. I'll answer whatever ye want, but a little at a time. I promise I'll answer anything I can." She frowns.

"Were you and Carl jus talking?"

"Aye...." She blushes. "Weird right? Yer husband and yer boyfriend having a friendly conversation." She sighs. Doctor Stevens comes in and smiles.

"And she's awake! Long time no see. I told you to stop coming to see me, I know I'm your favorite but still." She smiles.

"Hi Doctor Stevens. How am I?" Doctor Stevens sighs.

"Better now. Thanks to my magical surgical skills." She rolls her eyes.

"Big head."

"Anyway, when you came in you had a broken collar bone, shoulder, hand and cheek bone. Your ribs on your left side were broken which caused your spleen to bleed. You have a brain bleed and collapsed lung. We fixed the bleeding spleen, twice. Your brain bleed last we checked and gotten a lot better. After another scan we'll be able to see where it is." He stops and sighs, looking at Bobby. _**Here's the news about the baby....**_ "During your second surgery...you had a miscarriage..." Carl's head snaps up as he looks at Maizie. Her face falls and she looks at Bobby. Her eyes watered.

"Wait...I...we..." She looked at the doctor. "I lost it? We lost it?" He nodded. She looked at Bobby, the tears start streaming down her face. "I'm so sorry...I was....but I....and you...." She starts sobbing as Bobby moves closer to her, careful to avoid IV's and wires. He holds her in his arms, her tears soaking his shirt.

"Hey hey hey...Shhhh. It's okay, lass. It's okay. I'm not mad." His heart twisted and pounded at the same time. Doctor Stevens clears his throat.

"I'll give you guys some time. I'll check on you in a bit." Bobby kisses the top of her head and holds her until she stops crying. She pulls away and looks up at him. 

"I was gonna tell you...I swear. I wasn't trying to keep it from you I just didn't know how. I mean things are so complicated between us, I wasn't sure how you would react." He sighs and gently puts a hand on her cheek, the one that wasn't broken. He looks into her eyes and smiles faintly.

"I know. Ye were just waiting fer the right time. I'm not mad. And considering my reaction earlier I don't even know how'd I react. I definitely had a minor panic attack. Ye can ask Lottie and Gary. They got to see first hand me freaking the hell out. Oxygen and everything." She smiles and laughs softly, wincing.

"I wish I could've seen that. But since they know is it safe to assume that everyone knows?" He shakes his head.

"No. The only people that know is Doctor Stevens, the nurses, us, Gary, Lottie and now...Carl." Her face goes white and she turns to look at Carl.

"Carl, I'm really sorry. I swear I was just waiting until I talked to Bobby. I wasn't trying to trick you or anything." He smiles and walks over to her, taking her other hand. 

"I know. It's okay. Things have been very complicated for you the past few months apparently. I don't blame you. And announcing pregnancy isn't exactly a first date conversation." She blushes and looks between him and Bobby.

"I guess you're both wondering about who I want to be with..." Bobby and Carl look at each other. Bobby sighs.

"I mean our first priority is yer health. So let's take care of that first and then we'll get to that part." She sighs and looks between them. Bobby shrugs and smiles.

"Hey, not many women can say they're husband and boyfriend get along. Enjoy it while it last, lass." He wiggles his eyebrows, making her laugh lightly, wincing again. "Sorry, I'll stop being stupid so ye stop laughing." She smiles.

"It's okay. I missed your stupid jokes and dumb comments." He smiles.

"Well, we've got everyone here. Except yer mum and Ainsley. Though they are on their way. They were hard to get a hold of and then their flight got delayed a couple times. It's still snowing in Scotland. But literally everyone else is here. Lottie, Gary, Hope, Noah, Rahim, Jo, Marisol, Chelsea, Henrik, Lucas, Elijah and Arjun. Everyone came to be here fer ye." She smiles widely.

"Everyone? Damn, I feel like a princess." He smiles and laughs.

"I mean ye pretty much are at this point. I'm pretty sure ye could ask fer a goat and someone here would get ye one." She smiles, trying not to laugh.

"A goat?" He shrugs.

"First thing that came to my mind. I think unicorns would be hard to find." She sighs.

"Can someone get Gary?" Carl smiles.

"I'll go get him. I assume for now we're still two guests at a time so I'll be back later." He kisses the top of her head. After he's gone she looks into Bobby's eyes, like she's searching for something.

"Maizie....I'm sorry it took me so long to figure it out.....I'm sorry fer a lot of things. I'm sorry fer the way I acted and not talking to ye and sending ye the mixed message note which apparently was not very clear." 

"So you _were_ trying to tell me something?"

"Aye....I was trying to tell ye I wanted to...get back together....without saying those words. Though I did mean it about ye having that stuff. It's yers. I guess neither of us are very good trying to give secret messages." She chuckles.

"Yeah...but I couldn't say much and had to come up with something off the top of my head. I brainstormed what I could say that you knew about me that wouldn't give it away to him. He was literally standing next to me. But you did figure it out..." He looks down.

"Three weeks later...I'm sorry ye had to go through that so long. But why did ye pick me to call? There was Gary, Carl, Lottie." She sighs.

"You're my safe place. And you know me better than anyone so if anyone was going to figure it out it would be you. Which you did. So my plan worked." He looked into her eyes again.

"I'm still yer safe place? Even with that hunky guy out there? He looks a lot different in person." She blushes and frowns.

"Yeah...never thought I'd be in this situation..." He gently rubs his thumb over her dimple. He swallows hard trying to move the lump in his throat. He tried not to cry again.

"Lass, if ye decide ye want him I'll give ye a divorce. I don't want a divorce but if ye want one I'll give it to ye. I told ye from the beginning this stops when ye say it stops. I still mean that. I'll always love ye no matter what, I just want ye to be happy. That means more to me than anything." She looks down at him still holding her hand.

"Bobby! What happened to your hand?" He blushes. Gary walks in and smiles.

"Zi! Oh thank God you're okay!" He runs up and hugs her gently. "God, you had all of us scared. How are you feeling?"

"A bit sore but okay. I want to know what happened though. Starting with why your hand is bruised, Bobby." He blushes and clears his throat.

"That...well, uh..." Gary laughs.

"Maizie, he punched Alex. It was fucking great. He hit him so hard he fell to the ground." Maizie stared at Bobby.

"You hit him? That hard? But you hate violence." Bobby smiles.

"Hey ye hit him first. Nice shot on the nose by the way." She blushes. Gary takes her hand and looks at Bobby.

"Maizie, we're so proud of you for standing up for yourself. I know you feel like it didn't do anything but it did."

"Aye. Ye proved to yerself that ye don't let anyone tell ye what to do anymore." She smiles and clears her throat.

"Well, I guess you're right. But I still haven't heard what happened." Gary and Bobby look at each other. Bobby sighs and stands up. 

"I actually need to go call Olly. He's been worried about ye. But Gary can tell ye everything. I'll see ye soon, lass." He kisses her cheek gently and walks out of the room. Once he turns the corner he stops and leans against the wall. 

"You alright, mate? How's the love triangle?" Bobby looks over at Noah walking towards him and smiles.

"Fek off."

"I'm just asking." 

"It's not going fer now. I told her to focus on getting better and then we'll get to that part."

"So now that you've seen them together what are you thinking?"

"He held her hand and didn't make her feel bad about hiding...things. He kissed the top of her head when he left. It looked so intimate. I think Gary underestimated him. It sounds stupid but watching them together...it could be something between them. And the way he looks I don't think I have much of a chance." Noah sighs.

"But you two have love. It's just fascination between them, it's still too new. You two have history and real intimacy. You've gotten past the new phase into building a life. You're married! That has to give you some kind of leverage." He shakes his head.

"What if the new is more exciting than what we have? What if it's more exciting than our future? Maybe new is better. Maybe he is better."

"Bobby, I know she loves you. Every time you weren't around all she talked about was you. In the Villa and on the outside you're the only one she really wanted to be with. It's possible Carl was just an experiment. To see what was out there or get to know him or something. I don't know. But I think she still wants you." Bobby thinks a moment.

"I'm gonna go try and do something to distract myself. Hey has anyone heard from her mum?"

"Yeah, they're on their way in a taxi. They just landed a bit ago." He nods and walks down the hallway, away from the waiting room. "Where are you going??"

"Somewhere alone." He keeps walking and finds himself at the courtyard. He sits down on the bench and calls Olly to tell him what he knew. After he hangs up he looks at his background of him and Maizie. _**God this sucks. She'll probably choose him. He's smarter and more sophisticated with a better job. He probably owns his flat....well I own mine too....but he bought his. He can give her everything...I don't want to make her choose...**_ He gets a text from Noah.

_"Everyone is wondering where you're at. Maizie's mum is here."_

_"I'm trying to clear my head. Take her to Maizie. I'll be back in there soon."_

_"Bobby....don't drown yourself in self pity again. Last time I had to yell at you...I'll yell at you again."_ He smiles. 

_"I'm not drunk this time though."_

_"True but I can promise I know what you're thinking."_

_"What's that?"_

_"You're thinking about leaving now that she's awake."_

_"If I'm here she'll worry about what to do about us more than anything."_

_"That won't stop because she stops seeing you."_ He puts down his phone and sits back groaning.

"What the fek have I done to my life? God I wish Maw was here." He gets another text from Noah.

_"Gary says Maizie wants you to tell all of us some news. He said you'd know what she meant...?"_

_"Be there in 5."_ He sighs and goes back inside. When he walks in he's pounded by questions from everyone. Carl isn't anywhere to be seen. _**Guess he went to go see her again...**_ He holds his hands up.

"Guys, relax! I can't talk if none of ye shut up." They all stared at him shocked. "One thing at a time. But before ye start asking questions let me go through everything so far. She's okay, she's awake, she knows what's going on. They're gonna do some more scans to check on everything. She hasn't made a decision on rather she chooses me or Carl. I told her not to worry about it until she's better. She did fight back but...." He looks down at the ground trying to gather to courage to say it out loud. Saying it in front of everyone made it feel more real. Chelsea looks at him worriedly. 

"Bobby?" He sighs and looks at all of them, his eyes stinging. His voice cracks.

"She...was fifteen weeks pregnant....she lost the baby during the second surgery...I had no clue. She hadn't told anyone yet." Everyone stares at him. Noah puts a hand on his shoulder.

"Bobby." Bobby forces a smile and shrugs it off.

"I'm good. I didn't even know so ye know...no attachment. Things happen fer a reason. But I do have something I need to do so I'll talk to ye later." He turns to walk away. Noah chases after him.

"Bobby. Where are you going?"

"Anywhere but here. I hate hospitals." 

"Bobby, stop. Talk to me!" 

"Not yet." Noah runs in front of him.

"Bobby enough. You can't drop news like that and walk away. I know you and you're shutting down. Don't do that. Talk to me. You know what you say to me goes no where. Please. I'm worried about you." Bobby sighs and looks at him.

"What do ye want me to say, mate?"

"Tell me what you're thinking. I know you have a lot going on but holding everything in isn't going to help you." 

"I'm crushed alright? I've been wanting to talk to her fer weeks and tell her I want to be with her. I wanted to tell her to come home or let me come to London whatever. But before I could do it she starts dating Carl. And he's a better option fer her. He doesn't have all this baggage like I do. He doesn't have a messy history with her like I do. They have a clean slate. And then I figure out she tried to reach out to me to help her and it took me three weeks to figure it out. She went through three weeks of pain cause I'm stupid. And as if that wasn't enough she was pregnant with my baby. I was gonna be a dad, Noah. And that asshole took that away. Three months ago I had almost everything and now I'm losing everything and more. How am I supposed to feel alright?" Noah hugs him.

"Mate, that's how you should feel. I'm not gonna lie and say I know what you're feeling cause I don't. But I can say that you aren't alone, even though it feels like it right now. No matter what you have me. And Lottie. And Gary. And especially Hope. She adores you. Don't get me wrong she's been worried about Maizie but she's been worried about you more. She knows you self destruct too." He stands there a few minutes crying with Noah comforting him. He looks behind Noah and sees Doctor Stevens watching them. He nods and walks away. After a few minutes he pulls back and wipes his face.

"Thanks man." He clears his throat. "I really feel overwhelmed and I think I need to do something to distract me right now."

"Why don't we go to my place so you can take a shower and you can eat something. Gary will be right beside Maizie the whole time." He sighs and nods. "Go say bye to Maizie before she gets mad." He sighs and takes a deep breath before going into her room with a smile. He sees Lucas and Gary sitting next to her.

"Hey lass. Listen I'm gonna go back to Noah's place fer a bit to shower and shit. But I'll be back I promise." She looks at him, disappointment shadowing her face.

"Oh...okay. Um, I'll see you soon?" He nods and turns to walk away. "Bobby." He turns around.

"Yeah?" She sighs.

"Thank you...for everything. For saving me...and being so nice to me...and you know taking care of me..." He forces another smile.

"Yeah, yeah. Of course no problem." He turns to go.

"Wait!" He looks at her again. "Um...I..." She sighs. "I'm sorry too...."

"Uh, yeah. No problem. We're good." He turns and walks away quickly before she can say anything else. He's quiet the whole time to Noah's. After he showers he sits down on the couch. Noah brings him a sandwich and some crisps.

"Eat." Bobby looks at him. "Don't argue. Eat. Now." He sighs and does what he's told. "I'm gonna take a shower. Be out in a few minutes." He nods. After he finishes eating he lays back on the couch and sighs, closing his eyes. _**What has happened to my life? What am I going to do next? What if she wants a divorce? What about this bairn thing? Will she still want them? Will she still want them with me? God my life is a mess.**_ He drifts off to sleep. He wakes up a few hours later with a blanket over him. He sits up and rubs his eyes. 

"What time is it? How long have I been asleep?" Noah looks at the time.

"Five and a half hours."

"What?! But what about Maizie??"

"Mate, relax. She's fine. Nothing has changed. Her scans came back and things are better. Her brain bleed has pretty much stopped. She knows you were asleep and she's fine. She's actually a little mad you went so long without sleep." He sighs and puts his heads in his hands. "Bobby, I told you I've got your back. If something went wrong I would've woken you up. Gary has been updating me every thirty minutes." After a minute he stretches and stands. "How do you feel?"

"Better. Physically at least. Not as tired. Or as hungry." Noah stands.

"Well let's go then. Unless you want something else to eat. Or a brew maybe?" Bobby shakes his head.

"I can get that at the hospital." Noah shrugs and they head back to the hospital. As he walks to her room he bumps into Carl. "My bad, mate. I wasn't paying attention." He doesn't say anything, he just stares at him. "What? What's wrong? What happened?" He shakes his head.

"You disappeared for six hours."

"I went to Noah's to take a shower and eat. I fell asleep on the couch."

"You can't just disappear like that. She needs us right now." Guilt hit him hard in the chest. He clears his throat.

"Yer right. I'm sorry. It won't happen again." 

"Oi! Carl! Lay off him!" He looks up and sees Noah and Gary coming towards them, both of them frowning. Bobby looks at them.

"Lads, it's alright. He's right. I shouldn't have been gone so long." Noah shakes his head.

"No. He's wrong. You have to take care of yourself too. The past four days you've done nothing but sit by her." Gary shakes his head.

"He's done anything and everything every waking moment since she got here. He's slept once for a few hours until she needed surgery again. And he slept leaning against her bed. She's pissed he neglected himself for so long."

"He can't help her if he doesn't help himself. So back off." Gary looks at Carl angrily and lowers his voice.

"I'll tell you a secret, mate. If you want to win her heart, compassion and understanding go a long way. But treating someone she loves like that isn't going to get you far." Gary and Noah lead Bobby away. When they get into Maizie's room she's asleep. Gary motions for him to be quiet and points to the bench with a blanket and pillow laying on it. He smiles at them before they leave him alone with Maizie. He pulls up a chair and sits next to her. He sits there quietly for a while. He texts Olly to update him. He texts Leanna, Shaun, Louis and Dean and Big Jonno. He ends up falling asleep again. He slept harder than before, not a sound bothering him. He feels someone running their fingers through his hair. He groans and opens his eyes and sees Maizie's awake. She smiles.

"Morning sleepy head." He rubs his eyes.

"How long has it been?"

"It's morning and considering I went to sleep a couple hours after you went to Noah's I'm going with a long time. You look better though." He smiles.

"Ye shouldn't be worrying about me, lass."

"I'm fine though." He kisses her hand.

"I'm glad."

"So Gary and Noah told me all about what happened. From start to finish. From when Noah went to Scotland to when I woke up." He sighs.

"What do ye wanna ask me?"

"You really told him you'd make him your bitch?" He laughs. 

"Aye. Everyone likes to underestimate me. Just cause I don't like violence doesn't mean I can't hold my own. I may not be built like the other lads, but I can take care of myself."

"I knew that I just never thought that'd be something you'd say."

"He was an exception."

"So about this boyfriend and husband thing."

"Lass, that can wait."

"But I don't want it to. I want to talk about it." He looks at her a moment. 

"Maizie, I think that decision needs a little more time. Things have been hectic since ye got here. Ye've had a lot of new information since ye woke up yesterday. Twenty-four hours isn't enough time to decide something like this. Yer choosing between two lads who both really like ye...one fer sure loves ye and I'm too scared to ask if he does or not. I can wait and I'm sure he can too. It would make me feel better if I knew ye took plenty of time thinking this over." She looks at him sadly.

"But I've known since before the hospital. Since before Alex found me. It hasn't changed."

"But ye have Carl in this too. He's invested in this. It may be new but his feelings are real and he deserves to at least know ye really thought about this."

"So what are you saying, Bobby?" He thinks a moment.

"I'm gonna say this bluntly. Only cause every time I try to say it nicer it just confuses people. I love ye and I want ye to choose me. I want to stay married and start our lives together. But Carl is in a relationship with ye too. I feel like if ye made a decision right now it would be too soon. Both of our feelings are invested in this and both of us deserve to know ye really took time to think about it. If ye made a decision right now and chose him I would feel like ye chose too soon without thinking about it and I think he would feel the same way if ye chose me. It's been twenty-four hours. Give it time. We will both still be here when ye've had plenty of time to decide this. We're not goin anywhere, lass." She sighs and looks down.

"Okay. I'll give it more time. But I guess I want to know about you and Noah. You two are acting like nothing happened. Which if I'm honest hurts my feelings. I mean me and you separate to work through this disaster I created and before me and you even talk the two of you make up and are best friends again. But I'm still left in the dark."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make ye feel that way. But I can tell ye what happened. I mean ye know he went to Glasgow and then we came here. But he came to Glasgow cause after I talked to ye on the phone I....I went to a dark place. I stopped talking to literally everyone, I didn't go to work, I barely ate, I slept a lot but usually cause I had too much scotch. And Gary got pissed I wasn't talking to anyone, even Lottie. But he couldn't get off of work so he sent Noah. Noah came in and woke me up yelling. Like full on yelling at me, that was scary. But after that we started to try and figure out why no one had heard from ye and that's when I realized what ye were trying to tell me on the phone. And he was just there fer me. He dropped everything to stand by me and it meant a lot. He apologized but more sincerely this time and I really felt like he meant it. Like he was apologizing cause he hurt me not cause our group was divided. And the time we were here before ye woke up...I don't think I could've made it without him. He's why I made it this far, he's even why I came to London. If he hadn't gone to Glasgow...it could've been too late by the time someone figured it out." 

"I guess I can get that. I still feel left behind though."

"I promise yer not. Ye've been on my mind constantly since ye left. I've wanted to get back together since ye came back to London. But ye said ye needed space so I gave it to ye. I almost called probably a hundred times and stopped myself. I reminded myself ye wanted some time without me. And then when Carl came in the picture I wanted to give ye space to figure that out. I didn't want to influence anything just fer me. He has feelings too. And as much as I hate sharing ye with him, we kind of have to."

"I'm surprised ye've been so nice to him."

"Oh I made sure he knew he had no say, but that he could still be here to support ye. I mean I don't like it...I wish he would kind of just disappear. But ye obviously have some sort of feelings fer him and that means he means something to ye and I can't throw out someone ye care about. And I gave ye a pass to do whatever while we weren't together and said I couldn't hold that against ye. And I won't."

"So...did you-"

"Sleep with anyone? No...I didn't want to. And I didn't date either, I didn't even snog anyone."

"Now I feel guilty. I agreed to go on a date with Carl cause I thought you were probably sleeping around." He smiles.

"I'm a little offended ye think I could just ferget about ye that easily."

"You always said I was it, if we didn't work out that you wouldn't try it on with anyone else. So I thought for sure you would go back to your man whore ways and sleep around to cope with your feelings...like you did after Sam."

"Sam and I weren't even an actual couple. We weren't necessarily exclusive. I didn't have feelings fer her like I did ye. Yeah, it hurt, but not like it does when we aren't together. It wasn't hard to move on from her. But I didn't even try to move on from ye. I hoped that us still being married would mean we'd still end up back together...hopefully fer the last time." She smiles.

"I'm happy to be wrong this time....maybe I should really start listening to Gary." Bobby laughs.

"Maybe we both should." He looks at his phone. "Noah texted me. Yer mum and Ainsley are back. I'll go get them fer ye." He kisses her cheek. "See ye soon, lass." She smiles. He walks out of the room and meets them in the waiting room. After he shows them to her room he sits in the waiting area. Everyone looks between him and Carl. He sighs. "Carl, mate. We're gonna have to answer some question or they won't stop staring at us." He sighs and shrugs.

"Shoot." Hope sighs.

"Finally! How did you two meet?"

"We ran into each other when we were both running in the park." Priya leans in.

"So how serious has it gotten?"

"Not too serious. We haven't slept together, haven't said 'I love you', I haven't been to her flat, haven't met each others families. I mean I didn't officially ask her to be my girlfriend but we texted everyday and talked on the phone every night. She said she didn't want anything too serious so I let her call all the shots." Elijah clears his throat.

"Now the real question. How do you feel now that you know she's married and was pregnant?" Bobby raised his eyebrows and looked at Carl. He sighed and rubbed his face.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I know I really like her and think we have a good chance at this becoming something. But at the same time divorce is a really emotional event in someone's life. I don't want to be a rebound. And since they got married they obviously have something special and I don't want to get between that. I didn't want to at Casa Amor and I still don't want to. I'm not sure where it's going to go or what to do." Everyone looks at Bobby.

"Wow, this is really awkward. Uh, look. It's a really weird situation but I just want to focus on her getting better. But I know ye won't let me get away with that one. So, honestly, I still want to be with her. But if she tells me she wants a divorce and chooses Carl then okay. I've always told her this stops when she says she wants it to. I still mean that. I'm not exactly happy she was seeing someone else, but I did tell her she could. So I can't get mad she actually did that." Gary looks between them.

"This is so weird. Carl, how do you feel about the fact she was pregnant?" He winces.

"That hurt a little bit. I mean I'm not mad, I understand why she didn't tell me. But at the same time, this really complicates things. There is so much more to this than I thought, which does not help me figure this out. What I really want to know is who she chooses so we can deal with this already. But Bobby is right, her health comes first." Jo frowns.

"I want to know who everyone thinks she should be with. All those that vote Bobby raise your hands." Most of the group raises their hands, making Bobby blush. "And those in favor of Carl." A few people raised their hands, not many though. "Wow, totally saw that coming." Bobby smiles at Jo and rolls his eyes. Henrik looks between them.

"So how do you feel about each other for her? Like how does Bobby feel about Carl as her partner and vice versa?" Carl sighs.

"Wow, uh, weird. But I think he's a nice bloke. I like that he cares so much for her he goes to her flat to get her out of a bad situation. He's smart, I mean he decoded a message that no one else could've figured out. He's attractive, I'm not going into that one. He's funny, having someone that's a good laugh around always helps. He's selfless, he let me stick around and has been nothing but nice to me even though they're married. He could've just as easily told me to leave and kept me away from her. But it shows how much he cares about her." He stops talking and frowns, like he was thinking hard about something. "I need to do something." He gets up and walks towards Maizie's room. Lucas looks at the others.

"I bet you five pounds he's going to break up with her." Everyone exchanges bets, making Bobby laugh. 


	15. Recovering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This will be Maizie's POV after the hospital. WARNING: Descriptions of Violence.

Two weeks later Maizie was released from the hospital. Bobby, Gary and Maizie stand outside her flat, looking at it. Her heart pounded as flashbacks from her recent encounter with Alex pulse in her mind. She didn't hide her tears this time. She had the two most important people in her life next to her. Everyone else tried to come too but she insisted just Gary and Bobby come with her. 

"Ye okay, lass?" Bobby tried to convince her to let him or Gary grab some of her stuff. She nodded.

"I have to face this. I'm done letting him haunt me. I'm not hiding anymore. I will come out on top this time." She looked at Gary and Bobby and smiles. "This lass isn't made of glass." She wiggles her eyebrows, making them smile. She takes a deep breath and walks inside. She looks around the living room. "Where was he?" Bobby stands with his hands in his pockets, on a spot by the hallway.

"Right here. He met us right here." She looks at that spot, her heart pounding. She tried to imagine her best friend and her husband coming to defend her against the man that tortured her for years. Oddly enough the day before the boys came that's where he slapped her for having dinner done at 5:40 instead of 5:30. She hit him back then too. That's when he grabbed her by the throat and warned her to never try to act tough again. 

"Maizie...are you okay?" She zoned back in and realized she was touching where his hand was on her neck. She cleared her throat.

"Yeah. I'm fine." She took a deep breath and walked down the hall. She went to the bathroom and grabbed some stuff she needed. She went to the shower to grab her shampoo and conditioner. She looked down at the tub and stopped. The week before they came she took a bath to try and ease her sore muscles. He got pissed he couldn't take a shower...so he tried to drown her. Or at least made her think he would. Someone touched her elbow making her jump. She turned and swung...slapping Gary. He looked at her surprised. "Ohmygod. Gary I'm so sorry! I thought....I was lost in thought." He looked at her stunned.

"Maizie, maybe we should go wait in the truck. Let Bobby grab your stuff..." She shook her head, trying not to cry.

"I have to face this." He looked at her a minute and sighed. 

"Okay. Just don't push yourself..." She nodded. She grabbed her shampoo and conditioner and went to her bedroom. She stopped at the door and looked around. Her room was the only room destroyed. All of her belongings had been thrown, the lamp was broken, holes in the wall, her mirror was shattered. Their fight came back to mind. That day started to replay in her head, reminding her of everything that happened. 

* * *

She stood at her dresser on the other side of her room. She looked in the mirror at the bruises that covered her body. _**Why did I let this happen again? How did my life end up like this? Pregnant, separated from my husband and in an abusive relationship? Why hasn't he called me? We're fucking married and he can't even call? And he didn't catch on to what I was trying to tell him? I told him I hate flowers...he remembers that but he doesn't understand why I said that...maybe he doesn't really love me.........Alex is in the shower...he just got in, I should have a few minutes alone before he gets done...**_ She opens her drawer and buried at the bottom, wrapped in a pair of socks, were her wedding rings. She watched them sparkle in the light remembering the first time she saw them, smiling at the memories. She kept thinking of the smile Maw had on her face. She quickly wipes away the tears, he hated seeing her cry. And not in the way Bobby did. _**Maw would be fucking ashamed of me right now....I need to get out....I have to stop this....**_

"What the fuck are you doing?" He quickly walks over and sees her rings. "The fuck is that? Where did you get those? Did that wimpy baker give them to you? I can't believe you were dumb enough to think he would love you. He obviously got smart not to marry you." Rage pumped through her veins. She frowned and stood up, her hands in a fist.

"Talk about me all you want. You can say whatever you want but don't talk about him like you know him. The only thing that matters is I know what I'm worth. He does love me, more than anyone ever has. He is ten times the man you are. He saw my worth and he did marry me." He glares at her.

"Oh really? Where's your husband now? You think he cares about you? You think you're tough now?" She looked him in the eye.

"I'm a lot stronger than you think I am. I'm not the scared little girl I was. I grew the fuck up." He grabbed a handful of her hair and put his face in hers.

"I can't believe you think you can take me." She elbows him hard as she can in his stomach. He lets go of her hair, she punches his throat and quickly punching his nose, breaking it. 

"Rather I win or lose I won't be a coward anymore. I won't sit here and take it." He straightens up and touches his nose, seeing blood when he pulls his hand away. He got a dangerous look on his face.

"You really fucked up now, Maizie. You may think you're big and strong, but you're not. You're nothing but a worthless, stupid, little girl." He walks up to her, her heart pounding, he slaps her so hard her ears start ringing. She goes to slap him but he catches her hand. She tries to pull her hand away but his grip is too tight. She tried not to show the fear creeping across her insides. She thinks about Bobby, his laugh, his smile, his eyes, his freckles, his kisses, his hugs, his hands, everything about him she loved. _**What would he tell me right now?**_ She felt the rings still in her other hand. She kicks his knee as hard as she could, sending him down in a howl of pain. 

"I am not a little girl. The Maizie you know is gone." He growls with anger and stands up. He grabs and pushes her into the mirror, shattering it. She fights back against him, managing to push him back a couple steps. He throws a punch and she ducks it, making him hit the wall. 

"I've had enough of this." He punches her in the eye, knocking her to the ground, making her scream out in pain. He doesn't wait a second before he kicks her in the ribs hard, making her cry out in pain. He put his knee on her chest and looks her in the eyes. "You're not so tough now are you?" She held onto her rings tightly. _**If he kills me, I won't go down without a fight. I'll die fighting back.**_

"Say whatever you want to say. Do whatever you want to do. You don't scare me anymore. You're nothing but a coward. A coward who hides behind his strength because you know you're worthless." His face turns red with rage. He gets off to hurt her again. She takes this chance to grab the lamp and hit him with it. It stuns him. She quickly stands up and starts punching as hard as she can. For the first time ever he looked worried. "I am not going to let you keep hurting me. I am not weak anymore." He ducks her last punch making her punch a hole in the wall. She hears her hand crack and screams. He takes this opportunity and starts punching her back. He gets her on the ground and kicks her multiple times. He slams his knee into her collar bone and keeps pushing hard while he chokes her. _**At least I didn't go down without a fight...**_ She hears a loud crash in the living room. He stands up and runs off. She looks towards the door, hearing voices just before everything goes black.

* * *

Rage hits her again as she looks at the aftermath of her struggles. She grabs random stuff and starts throwing it. Bobby and Gary run inside and grab her to make her stop throwing. She struggled against them. Bobby stands in front of her.

"Maizie! Maizie! Stop! Ye need to stop!" She looks into his eyes and sees the fear in them. She stops, collapsing on the ground. They both wrap their arms around her, she sobs into Bobby's chest. 

"I lost. I fought so hard and lost." Bobby spoke softer.

"Ye didn't lose, lass. Just cause ye went unconscious doesn't mean ye lost. Ye fought with everything ye had. Ye stood up and told him ye weren't weak. Ye showed him ye aren't the same lass ye used to be. That's not a loss." Gary clears his throat.

"He's right. And from the looks of him you put up a hell of a fight which I don't think he's used to. He knew he didn't have control anymore. And that's the biggest win." They sit there for what feels like hours. She finally stops crying. She thought about what they said. _**If I won why do I feel like I lost?**_

"Lass, look at me..." She looks at Bobby. He gently touches his cheek. "Before when ye were with him did ye ever fight back?" She shakes her head. "Did ye ever tell him all the things ye said?" She shakes her head. "Then that alone shows ye won. The fight wasn't the physical stuff. The fight was the control he had. And he lost it. He didn't control ye anymore and he knew it. That's why he did what he did. He knew ye weren't his puppet anymore. And that's why ye won." He gently wipes a tear away with his thumb. "And I'm so proud of ye fer standing up to him. I'm so proud of ye fer fighting." She sniffles.

"Really?" He smiles and nods.

"We both are. All of us are. Yer not the lass that let him hurt ye anymore. Yer _our_ Maizie. The strong lass who refuses to back down. But ye don't need our approval. Ye need yer own. We don't decide yer worth, that's fer ye to decide." She smiles at him. She looks at Gary who smiles back at her. He takes her hand.

"Maizie, physically it was an unfair fight. He was a big dude. A lot of people couldn't win against him, except maybe Bobby when he's mad, so that part doesn't matter. It's everything else that matters. You stood up for you and the people you love. You found your strength and your courage and you didn't even need us here for that. We came here because we've always been your strength. But that day you didn't need us for your strength. You only needed us so we could stop him physically. But you didn't get to see what he looked like when we got here. He was pretty beat up. You put up a real good fight. We can't tell you enough how much it means to us that you were able to stand up to him. You have grown so much since we met and it's been amazing to see that growth. I know you think we did that, but it was you. We gave you room and space to grow while just supporting and loving you. This was all you." She looked at both of them.

"I'm so lucky to have found such amazing people. I can't tell you how much having you two there for me means to me. I mean I adore everyone and I'm touched everyone showed up for me. But you two especially. I love you both so much." Bobby kisses her gently, Gary kisses her hand.

"We love you too, Zi." She sniffles and wipes her eyes.

"Okay. Let's finish getting our stuff. But there is one last thing I want to do. I want to visit him. I want to see him before this all kicks off again." Bobby and Gary look at each other.

"Okay. But we want to be there. We'll step back and won't say anything but we want to be with you. And an officer too." She smiles.

"Deal." After they packed her stuff up they went to the jail house. The two officers, that talked to Bobby the day Alex was arrested, led them to his cell. He was inside with two other people. Gary and Bobby gave her encouraging smiles and stepped back, the officers stood by her. He looked up and saw her. He looked at her sadly.

"Maizie, thank God you're okay. I'm so sorry. I really am, I mean it this time. I swear it won't happen again, I lo-"

"Don't. I speak, you listen. Don't you dare say you love me. You've never loved me. Love doesn't do this. Love doesn't put you down, it helps you grow. I found love and a real man who knows how to love someone. Not once has he ever treated me anything close to you. He's always loved me for me and never made me feel like I wasn't good enough. He helped me see who I am. I found out who I am and I'm done being your puppet. I am done letting you break me down and telling me I'm weak. I am not weak. I'm stronger than you'll ever be. I may not have kicked your ass as much as you deserve but I sure as hell won this fight. You no longer control me and you never will again. The Maizie you knew is fucking gone. I hope you get put away for good but even if you don't you better stay far away from me. I have the Villa standing by me this time. Not one of them will hesitate to treat you how you treated me, and neither will I. I'll see your ass in court." He looks down, looking defeated. She turned and saw Bobby and Gary smiling at her. She walks up to them. Gary gently squeezes her hand. Bobby's eyes shone with pride.

"There's my stubborn lass. I knew she was in there somewhere." She pulls him to her by his shirt and kisses him. She pulls away and smiles.

"And she's not leaving your side again. Sorry, you're stuck with me." He chuckles.

"Fine by me." He takes her hand, kissing it. He looks over and sees Alex glaring at him. Gary clears his throat.

"Mate, I'd stop giving him that look. He's pissed at you enough. Not only did you hurt his wife in a lot of fucked up ways, you're also the reason he's not gonna be a dad anymore. There is literally only one person he actually hates and that's you." Alex's face goes white.

"She was pregnant?" One of the other guys glares at Alex.

"You beat up a pregnant woman?? Mate....."

"Aye. Don't worry, it wasn't yers. It was mine. Thanks fer taking that away from us by the way. Lucky fer us yer exactly where ye deserve to be." He leans over to the police officer. "It looks like ye'll need to move him....those lads are glaring at him pretty angrily." Bobby puts his arm around her shoulders gently as they start walking away. She sticks up her middle finger to Alex without looking back. Once they get to the airport she turned to Gary.

"I'm gonna miss you so much, babes." He smiles and hugs her as tightly as he could without hurting her.

"I'm gonna miss you too. But we'll visit soon. I promise." He turns to Bobby. "Mate...I don't even know what to say. There's so much to say. I guess mostly thank you. For being you. I'm honestly honored to call you one of my best friends." Bobby smiles.

"I should be thanking ye...yer the one that had our backs this whole time. Ever since we met ye've been there fer both us. I know we make it hard on ye, but we appreciate ye sticking with us."

"I'd do anything for you two. You're my favorite people....next to Nan and Lottie." They smile and each hug him.

"We've gotta go, mate. But we'll call ye tonight."

"See you two soon. Now neither of you do anything stupid because I can't be there to fix it." They laugh at him. Maizie kisses his cheek.

"I promise, we'll be good." He waves them off. When they finally land and make it home they stand outside Bobby's flat a moment. Maizie's eyes water as she thinks about the last time she was here. Bobby takes her hand.

"Hey, I know it hurts. But we have each other, right?"

"Yeah, we do."

"Are ye ready to start our lives together? Again?" He smiles, giving her inside a warm fuzzy feeling. She nods and follows him inisde. "Oi! Olly! We're home!" Oliver comes into the living room.

"Maizie!" He hugs her gently. "Ye still look as gorgeous as ever. I have the prettiest sister-in-law ever. Which thanks fer telling me by the way!" Bobby shrugs.

"We didn't tell anyone. So don't feel too bad. But how're things here?" He shrugs.

"Not much different. Same old same old." Maizie smiles.

"Well why don't we sit down. I'll get us some tea." Bobby shakes his head.

"Nope. Sit. I'll get it." Maizie sighs and sits down. A few minutes later they sat around the table, talking about everything that happened. The sparkle from her rings distracted her. She looked down at them. Bobby takes her hand and kisses it.

"She was very insistent I get those and give them to ye. I had already told her I wanted to propose but was trying to figure out how. She told me she showed them to ye and ye loved them." 

"I remember when I first talked to her when you came to London. I got to see how crazy you three are." Olly smiles.

"Honestly, I'm surprised ye wanted to stay with Bobby after that. That woman was a mess." Bobby rolls his eyes.

"Yer worst! I mean ye hit on Hope in front of Noah...." He shrugs.

"She's hot." Maizie laughs. 

"Relax, mate. You're both in relationships." 

"Just saying I would've been a better choice than Noah." Bobby smiles.

"Don't make me choose between my best friend and brother." Olly looks at him shocked.

"Yer brother should be who ye choose!" Maizie points at them both.

"You two stop it before I smack you both upside the head." Bobby and Oliver stare at her. "What?" 

"Bobby, yer wife just sounded like Maw." Maizie smiles.

"Hey, someone has to keep you two fools in check. I'm the only woman of the house now." Oliver smiles.

"I missed ye, Maizie. It was weird not having ye here with us. Living alone with this idiot is exhausting. He's so messy."

"Oh I know. Getting him to do anything is miserable. I mean he's been good since I'm injured. And he always mean to do it he just forgets.....a lot." 

"Ye both realize I'm sitting right here, right? I can hear ye." Maizie kisses his cheek.

"We still love you so it's okay."

"I feel like ye really don't." 

"Maybe I should show you then." She kisses him, pulling him closer. She gently bites his lip, making him moan. Olly stands up.

"Okay, that's my cue." Bobby pulls back biting his lip.

"I told ye not until yer all better. That means no cast." She pouts at him.

"But I missed you. I missed a whole lot of things about you." She starts kissing his neck. 

"I missed ye too but I'm not taking a chance of hurting ye. We're not exactly subtle all the time. And this would be one of those times we go crazy."

"Fine but you have to wear your suit...so I can undress you." He bites his lip.

"I can definitely do that. Reminds me of the last time I wore it. Ye practically jumped on me as soon as I got it on."

"What can I say? You looked hot. Undoing your tie...undoing the buttons on your shirt...running my hands across your chest...you holding me against the wall...." He groans.

"Yer so unfair. That's just cruel that is." She looks at him innocently. 

"What? What's wrong?" He leans over and kisses her neck before nibbling on her ear, making her moan. He stands up and walks away. "Where are you going? Why'd you stop?"

"I'm gonna go take a cold shower cause yer a tease. And that was payback." She groans and leans her head against the table.

"That's rude." She gets up and heads for his room. She stops at Maw's door. For a minute she stands outside the door. She slowly opens the door and looks inside. Everything was where it was when she was alive. She runs a hand across the top of her dresser, looking at the knick knacks and pictures sitting on it. She smiles sadly looking at the different mini statues of wolves. Her vanity had pictures of Oliver and Bobby when they were kids. Her perfumes sat neatly lined along the bottom of the mirror. Her lotions lined up on one side and her hair brush on the other. Her bookshelf lined with books of all kinds. 

"I come in here a lot too." She turns and sees Oliver standing in the doorway. "Sometimes I think I can still feel her. I think of all the times we talked in here, the times when I was a lad and got scared and slept in their bed, when we would play hide and seek." Maizie smiles.

"She was a really special woman. I've never met anyone like her. I think about her all the time. The day Bobby and the others came to my flat I had been thinking that she would be so upset that I let my life get like that again."

"Maybe a bit. But mostly she would've been worried. She loved ye like ye were her daughter. She has since before she even met ye." She sighs and sits down on her bed. 

"Time seems to be flying by. One minute I'm standing in front of her saying my vows and the next I'm sitting in her room wishing I could just hug her. I was so much closer to her than my own mum. My mum loved me but we didn't start getting along until I became an adult. And we're really close now, we meet up all the time to hang out. And it was mostly my dad's fault we couldn't be close. She tried though. But Maw treated me like family as soon as we met." Oliver sits next to her.

"That's Maw. She loved everybody. All our mates that didn't have the lives we did, she adopted them. She fed them, cared fer them, sometimes clothed them or gave them a roof over their head. Everyone knew who she was." 

"I miss her...I haven't done this part before...." 

"The pain doesn't go away or get better. But it gets easier to deal with. It's always going to hurt, which means ye really loved her. And find comfort knowing she loved ye too. And at least she's not hurting or sick anymore. She can finally be at peace. She got everything she wanted except one thing before she died."

"She got really close to everything. I mean _really_ close. Turns out I was pregnant around the time she passed." Oliver takes her hand.

"Then thank ye fer giving her everything she wanted. Even though no one knew that last bit. But she knows now that she got what she wanted." Maizie sniffles. 

"At least she did then. Now not so much. I should feel so free and happy and I am to a certain point. But I'm also pretty hurt and I don't mean my injuries. I keep thinking about what could've been. And it hurts. And then I get mad at Alex all over again because once again he ruined everything. I was so close to getting everything I wanted. Part of me wishes I let him do all of that. Then maybe he wouldn't have hurt me that bad and then maybe I wouldn't have lost it. And then Bobby and I could be starting that part of our lives right now." Oliver puts an arm around her.

"Hey don't blame yerself. This isn't yer fault. This all his fault. Ye shouldn't have to think 'maybe if I let him beat me everything would be okay.' I truly believe everything happens fer a reason. It sucks and most of the time it hurts and we don't always know why. But it's what's meant to happen. I know no other kids ye have will replace that one but ye'll still get yer happily ever after." She leans against his shoulder, trying to control her tears and losing.

"I know...I believe that too. I was just so close to being a mum...I've always wanted to be one and I was almost there. And it got destroyed too. Sometimes I don't think about how much he's actually taken from me. And then things like that happen and it reminds me he not only took the present he took the future too."

"If there's one thing I know it's that no one can take yer future away. They can take possible futures away, but not yer future. Yer in charge of yer future." Bobby sits down next to her on the bed. Olly helps move her to Bobby's shoulder but he holds her hand still. Bobby sits there quietly, comforting her. 

"I know, lass. Me too." She couldn't stop getting he dream from the Villa out of her head. The one where Alex was always in the background, ruining her future. _**What if he comes back into my life every couple years? What if when we do have kids he comes back to hurt them? He hates us...is he the kind of person who won't stop until he takes us down? What is it about me?**_

"I wanna go to bed." Oliver squeezes her hand gently.

"I'll see ye both tomorrow." He gets up and leaves them alone. Maizie looks into Bobby's eyes, seeing the pain in them.

"It hurts you too. I didn't think it would hurt you this much. Not that you wouldn't care I just didn't think you'd be ready for that kind of thing."

"I mean I'm not ready. I'm pretty far from it actually. But that doesn't mean I don't care about it. The woman I love was carrying my kid. That means a whole lot to me." 

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. Maybe-"

"Maizie, stop with the maybe's. If ye keep going over the maybe's or the what-if's then ye won't get to live the life ye have now. Ye can be hurt and sad about it. But living in the past will keep ye from the present." He kisses her hand. "I love ye more than anything, lass. I'm sorry yer hurting. I wish I could make it stop." She blushes.

"There is one way that might help..." He smiles and shakes his head.

"Not happening. I told ye to stop that. Ye've waited two and half months already ye can wait another month." 

"But that's why I want you so bad." She kisses him. "Since we broke up I've had a lot of time to think about you. Like in London when we used the handcuffs for the first time." She kisses him again. "And that time when it was me, you and Marisol." She leans into his ear. "That one is one I want to recreate soon." He bites his lip.

"Yer killing me, lass." She kisses his neck, his grip on her hip tightening. He stands up quickly. "Yer mean is what ye are. Ye know we're supposed to be letting ye rest." She sighs.

"Fine. Let's go to bed...and sleep." He laughs.

"We'll get there I promise. Ye just have to be patient. I'll make it worth it." She bites her lip and blushes.

"You better." He takes her hand and leads her to their room. He helps her take off her sling and helps her take her shirt off. She sees him struggling to focus, making her smile. He sees her smiling and shakes his head.

"No. Behave."

"I wasn't gonna do anything...it's cute you're trying so hard to focus." He helps her put her shirt on.

"Can ye do yer pants or do ye need help?"

"I can do that."

"Thank god, I need a minute." He turns around and rubs his face taking a deep breath while she changes. She laughs and changes her pants.

"I'm done now. You can turn around." He turns around and smiles.

"I'm glad yer done tryin to seduce me." She sighs.

"Well I'm not exactly happy about it but no means no." He leans down and kisses her softly.

"Stop pouting, even though ye look really cute when ye pout." 

"I'm not pouting."

"Ye are too. Now get in bed." She sighs and walks over to the bed, crossing her arms after she lays down. He laughs. "See, that's pouting. Ye know I think yer incredibly sexy and I'd love to but we need to get ye healed first." He gets in next to her and kisses her softly. "And as soon as ye are it's on." She blushes.

"That's mean."

"Is it? I'm not trying to be I promise. I just want ye to know it really is just so ye can get better." She sighs and cuddles into him. "Goodnight, lass."

"Night...meanie." He laughs and kisses the top of her head. The sun shines in her eyes, forcing her to wake up. She stretches and turns over to snuggle closer into Bobby, but the bed is empty. She sits up, looking at where he should be. 

"I told you you were mine and mine only." She jumps and looks up. Alex was standing by the bedroom door. Heart starts pounding.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were in jail still. How did you find us? Where's Bobby?" He gets a cruel smile on his face. 

"Things tend to work in my favor. You aren't exactly hard to find, or at least he isn't. All I have to do is look up Love Island season two and you two come up all over. But let's just say I took care of him." She felt tears threatening to fall.

"What did you do to him? What do you want with me? Why me?"

"Don't worry about him anymore. What matters is you're still mine. You'll always be mine no matter how hard you try to run away.",

"Why me, Alex?"

"Simple. I chose you to be my partner forever. He was right about one thing, you're amazing and every bloke wants you. But you're my prize. No one else gets you."

"I'm not a thing to be won or possessed. I'm a human being with feelings."

"No. Women like you are only good for trophies. And you're mine. I won you and you aren't going anywhere."

"You're wrong. I'll escape again and I'll keep getting away because I won't let you control me anymore." He walks up and grabs a hand full of her hair.

"No. You. Won't. If you don't be with me you fucking die. It's me or no one. And I'm not letting you choose. You. Are. Mine." He pulls her off the bed by her hair, she screams in pain. She sits up abruptly, her throat hoarse. Bobby is sitting up next to her.

"Maizie, baby. It's okay. I'm here. It was just a dream, it's okay. Yer safe. I'm here." She looks around the room. Her heart thumped in her chest louldy, her throat hurt, sweat drenched her clothes. She touches the spot where he had her hair, it felt so real like he really was there. She leans into Bobby and holds him tight, tears finally falling.

"Don't leave me." He holds her close and rubs her back.

"I'll never leave ye unless ye want me to. I'm yers, lass." For hours they laid there while he held her and comforted her. "We'll get through this, Maizie. Ye aren't alone. Ye have me and all our friends by yer side. We'll make it to the otherside, together." Eventually she falls asleep, praying for no more bad dreams. Four weeks later they're sitting at the doctors office. She looks over her injuries carefully. After she's done examining she looks at her.

"Everything has healed very nicely. Ye'll need to do some physical therapy, but ye can go back to normal everyday activities. Just be careful and don't strain yerself." Maizie looks at Bobby and wiggles her eyebrows.

"Hear that, babe. I can go back to normal activities." He smiles and clears his throat.

"So she's good?"

"Yes. Here is the information fer the rehab center, I'll send yer information over. Be sure to call within the next few days to set up an appointment."

"So...are we done? I mean are we finished fer today?" She looks at Bobby curiously.

"Yes..." He stands up and grabs Maizie's hand, dragging her away.

"Thanks! We'll call them later!" She laughs as he leads her out of the office. She stops after they walk out of the door to the lobby and pulls him to her. She kisses him hard, wrapping her arms around his neck. "At least wait until we get home." She smiles and pulls away.

"Then we better hurry." As soon as he shuts their front door he pulls her to him and kisses her hard, tangling one hand in her hair. They pull each others shirts off before kissing again. He picks her up, she wraps her legs around his waist. He holds her against the wall and kisses her neck. "Fuck I want you so bad." She kisses him again.

"Oi! What the hell is wrong with you two?!?" They look over and see Gary standing there with a cuppa in his hand. Bobby smiles.

"Mate, I'm glad to see ye but yer gonna wanna go somewhere else fer a while. We've got something we need to do like now."

"But I just got here...." Maizie smiles.

"Gary, I'm gonna be blunt. We haven't had sex since December 1st. It's now April 20th. We just got the all clear from the doctor. We're going to go have sex. And I'm not even gonna attempt to be quiet and considerate." He looks at them a minute.

"I'll see you two later then. Call me when you're done." He walks past them. "Use protection kids." He raises his eyebrows, smiling, as he walks out the door. Bobby goes back to kissing her. He puts her down and pulls her leggings off. She undoes his pants as she kisses him, pulling them down. He kicks them to the side and kisses her again, grabbing her bum. She bites his lip.

"Fek, lass." She pulls away and runs towards their bedroom. He runs after her and shuts the door. "Come here ye tease." She turns around and kisses him hard as he quickly takes off her bra and knickers. She pulls off his boxers and pulls him to the bed. He gets on top of her and starts to run his hand down her body. She stops his hand.

"We're skipping all that. Fuck me, now." He bites his lip.

"I love it when ye talk like that." She kisses him again, soaking up every second of the moment. He positions himself and slowly enters her. "Oh fek, Maizie." She moans loudly.

"Oh god yes." He tries to go slow. "Uh-uh. Harder." He bites his lip again.

"Anything ye say." He lets his passion for her run wild. She clings to him, every moment getting better and better. Their souls fused together, their hearts beating in rhythm. It doesn't take long for them both to come. He lays next to her, panting. 

"You have five minutes and we're doing it again." He looks at her surprised, smiling.

"Lass, slow down. We have the rest of our lives." She looks up at him. "What?"

"Nothing. You've just never said that before." He takes his hand that his wedding ring and holds up her hand with her rings.

"We do though. And you're name is McKenzie now so it's official. Yer a McKenzie." She bites her lip.

"I love it when you talk like that." She kisses him again and gets on top of him. He grabs her hips and thrusts in her hard. "Fuck I love you." He kisses her again, rough. He bites her lip, their touches becoming urgent again.

"I love ye too, Maizie." Their bodies slick with sweat, her moans were getting louder. He turns them over and pins her thighs back, going deeper. "Fek, lass." 

"Fuck I'm gonna come." He bites his lip as he looks into her eyes, making her heart pound. He pushes her over the edge as she says his name. She sits up, straddling him, and kisses his neck. She marks his neck and digs her nails into him. His grip on her hips tighten. 

"Fek, Maizie."

"I love it when you say my name." He kisses her hard as she moves on him, speeding up. He holds her as close as possible, like he needs to feel all of her. He bites her lip.

"I love ye, Maizie." She comes again, moaning loudly against their kiss. She digs her nails into his back harder, making him him moan.

"I love you too, Bobby." He pulls her down on him as he thrusts one final time. They collapse on the bed together, breathing hard. "I missed that."

"Me too. It gets better every time we get back together." She smiles.

"I almost want to say we should break up every few months and get back together. But when we break up all hell breaks loose." He laughs.

"It's almost like the world depends on us to be together."

"Or the universe."

"Okay, Rocco." She laughs.

"Shut up." He looks into her eyes, his love for her glittering in them. "I love you, hubby." He smiles.

"I love ye too, wifey." 

"I'm glad we got married."

"I am too." He takes her hand and tangles their fingers together. "As much as I'd love to keep doing this, I need food. And Gary is waiting fer us." She gasps.

"I totally forgot about him!" He laughs as she pulls him up. "Our clothes are out there...."

"We'll put new ones on and pick those up before he comes back." She bites her lip.

"Let's take a quick shower...we are pretty sweaty." He pulls her to him and kisses her.

"How can I say no to that?" They put on their robes and run off to the bathroom with their clothes. They make it in the bathroom and get their robes off before he turns her around and bends her over the bathroom counter and takes her. She bites her lip and looks over her shoulder at him.

"Couldn't wait, huh?"

"How can I when ye look so damn sexy?" She looked into his eyes, getting lost in everything. **_I swear his eyes alone is enough to get me off sometimes._** She looked in the mirror and saw him fucking her.

"I like this view." He smiles and puts one of her legs on the counter, pulling her up and kisses her neck. He reaches in front of her and rubs her as he thrusts. She gets lost in his touches, his kisses, his moans matching hers.

"Fek, Maizie." When they finish she looks at the foggy mirror and smiles.

"Looks like things got pretty...steamy." She wiggles her eyebrows making him laugh.

"I think I know what people mean when they say I have terrible jokes."

"My jokes are funnier." They take their shower...only showering this time. When they get done and clean up their clothes they lay on the couch. When Gary walks in and sees them he shakes his head, smiling.

"I thought you two would never finish." Maizie shrugs.

"If we didn't need food we probably wouldn't have." Gary rolls his eyes.

"It's like we're back at the Villa." Bobby laughs.

"Almost except we don't live together." Gary shrugs.

"Wouldn't mind that to be honest." Maizie gasps and sits up. She looks at Bobby, he raises his eyebrows.

"Really? Yer not thinking what I think yer thinking are ye?"

"Why not? It would be great!" Gary looks between them confused.

"What's going on?" Maizie looks at Bobby. He smiles and shrugs.

"I wouldn't mind it. But ye've got to actually talk to him, lass." She looks at Gary.

"You want to move in? We have a spare bedroom." Gary looks at her shocked a moment.

"Wait, really? You want me to move in here with you two?"

"I know it's a big thing to ask. I mean you'd have to completely change your whole life, but I really would love to have you around all the time."

"What about Lottie? You do remember we're living together now, right?"

"She can come too! Oh, please think about it."

"Well, what about Nan? I don't know how she'd feel about that. And what about Noah and Hope? They're the third couple to our group." Maizie stands up smiling and looks at Bobby. He looks at her surprised.

"Lass, slow down. We don't have enough space right now. I'm not ready to move Maw's stuff, we haven't even asked Lottie yet, Hope and Noah aren't even back to that point in their relationship. She's still at her dad's and they haven't slept together still. Asking them to live together here with all of us may be too much fer the relationship." She frowns.

"I forgot they still aren't back to normal....they aren't like us."

"Well, honestly it was easier fer us cause we were broken up. I can't hold what ye did when we weren't together against ye. They were in a relationship so it broke all her trust in him. She's done this before and obviously it didn't well. I'm surprised she even gave it another shot." Maizie looks confused.

"She's been cheated on before?" He closes his eyes and sighs.

"Fek...I wasn't supposed to say anything. If ye repeat that I'll have to kill ye both. But yes...she was cheated on before. That's why she acted the way she did in the Villa...she really liked him but she was really scared he would do that too her...which he did. So it destroyed the trust between them. But she loves him so she gave him another chance. I don't know if they'll be able to get past this point though." 

"I'm sorry, babe. I didn't think about all that...." Oliver comes in to the living room. 

"Maizie, Ainsley wants ye to call her. She wouldn't say anything else, just that." She frowns.

"Wait what? She didn't tell you anything? Aren't you two dating?" Oliver looks down.

"Uh....actually no." They all three looked at him. Bobby frowns.

"What do ye mean no?"

"I mean we broke up. We both agreed that it was time we end it. We were just best friends more than anything. I mean we still talk all the time but it wasn't really romantic feelings anymore." Maizie crosses her arms.

"When did this happen?"

"A couple weeks ago. That's why she hasn't been over."

"Is she going to stay in Scotland?"

"Dinnae ken. But ye need to call her." Maizie looks at hin suspiciously. 

"Okay...we'll come back to that." She goes and gets her phone from the room. She walks into the living room as it rings. "Hey babes. What's up?"

"Maizie....." 

"Ainsley why do you sound like you've been crying?"

"Maizie...." she sniffles.

"Ainsley are you okay? What's wrong?" 

"Alex is out." Her blood runs cold. She freezes. 

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I saw him when we went to the market. I went with Maw to grab a couple things before we came back to Scotland. He was there and did a double take when he saw me...I think he thought I was you. He came up to me but Mum yelled at him to get the hell away from us."

"Get here now, forget anything you may need. Forget it all I'll get my friends to deal with that. Get on a plane now."

"Maizie."

"No Ainsley! Do not argue. You don't know the extent of everything he can do. Come home. Now." 

"Okay okay. I'll tell Mum." She hangs up and starts looking through her contacts.

"Lass...what's wrong?" She shakes her head and calls Lottie.

"I need to do something." She goes into the room and calls Hope, Lottie and Noah. They were all fine and hadn't seen him. They agreed to help her mum and sister with the rest of their stuff. She comes into the living room. Everyone stares at her worriedly. "Alex is out...I don't know how but he is. Maybe he got bailed out I don't know. He saw Ainsley and Mum at the supermarket and tried to talk to them." Bobby frowns and looks at Gary. He nods.

"I'll call Lottie."

"She hasn't seen him"

"Not about that." She looks at him curiously. He goes in their room. She chews on her thumbnail and starts pacing.

"Do you think he knows where I am? I knew this would happen. Can we get a guard dog? Maybe two. I knew it, I fucking knew he would get out. Is there a way to go online and delete every article about yourself? Do I need to get a new restraining order for here? God I fucking knew it. He's gonna find me again. He won't let me go and I don't know why. What if he shows up at the door. I don't have a job yet. I'll be here all day by myself. Fuck." Bobby stands in front of her.

"Lass! Come here." She quickly goes to him and wraps her arms around his waist. "Relax. We'll figure this out. Tomorrow I have to work but Gary is gonna be with ye. He'll take ye to the police station and check on that. We'll look into a dog. He might figure out what town but he won't know where. People here know new comers and don't usually tell things like that. We'll figure this out, babe." She sighs and holds him tighter.

"I hope you're right." _**I hope you're right. I hope he doesn't find me....**_


	16. Make a Choice

The rest of the week Maizie was on edge. She constantly was looking around when they went out and texted everyone she knew several times a day to check on them. Her nightmares had gotten to an all time high. She barley slept or ate. Bobby even got her a emotional support dog named Bruno. He helped with her nightmares but even that only helped so much. Bobby came home late one day to find her in tears. As soon as he got inside she hugged him tightly.

"Why didn't you call me???"

"My phone died, lass. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry ye." She stepped back and looked at him angrily.

"And you didn't take your charger with you because...?"

"Because where am I supposed to plug it in at??? I work in a kitchen."

"I'm sure you can charge it somewhere on your breaks and at least charge it enough to where it doesn't die."

"My breaks are outside, Maizie. There isn't a plug outside."

"Why don't you go to the breakroom? And why do you still go outside knowing he could be anywhere?"

"Because he doesn't know where I work."

"He can find out. It doesn't take much to figure it out. You need to be more careful. Especially right now. He's dangerous."

"Ye think I don't know that?? I've seen what he can do, I was there. I found ye, I know what he can do."

"No, you've seen what he can do after he does it. You don't know him and what he's capable of. When he wants something he'll do whatever he can to get what he wants, which is me. He's quick on his feet and actually smart and charming. He's resourceful and very, very strong."

"Why does it sound like yer complimenting him right now? Ye think I don't realize what he's capable of? I've met guys like him. He's not the first one I've had to take on. But thanks fer reminding me how big he is, it makes me feel great my wife thinks I don't stand a chance."

"That's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying you don't know him like I do. There's more to him than just muscle."

"Ye know what, I'm gonna go take a shower. I don't have time fer this today."

"Time for what?"

"Another argument about him! Everyday since then we've had an argument about him! I get it yer scared, but I'm not. Call it stupid, call it courageous, call it whatever. But I refuse to let him take over my life. I refuse to let him stop me from having a damn life. Ye may be able to live with yerself in hiding but I can't." Without another word he goes to take his shower. After he starts the water and takes his shirt off Maizie comes in. She avoids his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I know I've been difficult to deal with. I swear I didn't mean to make it sound like you aren't capable of doing anything. I just don't want to chance it. You mean more to me than anyone and I don't want you getting hurt. He made me lose one person already and I can't lose you too. I shouldn't let him control my life anymore but it's hard not to." He sighs and walks up to her.

"Maizie, I'm sorry I didn't call and tell ye I was going to be late. But I'm starting to get really worried about ye. Ye barely eat, ye barely sleep, yer constantly looking fer him. I get why but it's starting to go too far. Yer losing weight and ye always look so tired but hardly sleep. Ye don't even eat my cupcakes, which is honestly an insult to my skills." She smiles.

"I'm sorry I'm worrying you so much. I don't mean to. It's just hard to move on, I guess." He kisses her.

"I know, I understand." He hugs her tightly. "We'll figure this out one way or another. Together." She looks up at him.

"Oh my, there's a sexy man in front of me and a hot shower behind him. What's a girl to do?" He bites his lip.

"I have an idea." He pulls her shirt off and smiles at her. After dinner Maizie does the dishes while Bobby puts away the leftover food. His phone vibrates in his pocket. He checks it and sees a text from Gary.

_"How is she doing?"_

_"She's lost quite a bit of weight...she hardly eats or sleeps anymore. I don't know what to do."_

_"Mate, we need to figure out something. This is really starting to get to her."_

_"Has anyone seen him? Has he tried to talk to anyone else there?"_

_"At this point, Maizie can't know. She's suffering enough and I don't want her to suffer anymore, we both know she will."_

_"Agreed. We'll tell her what she absolutely needs to know."_

_"The other day Lottie and I met up with Hope in London at their favorite pub. When Lottie and Hope went to the loo he went up and talked to them on their way there. He obviously didn't say who he was cause they were talking to him and smiling. I didn't want to freak them out so I went over and asked them if they were done already. Hope said no, they were chatting to this bloke name Jake. I smiled so they didn't catch on and when they excused themselves he asked me where Maizie was. I told him to fuck off I'm not telling him where. He said he'll do whatever it takes to get **his** girl back. He said he owns more of her than you do and he doesn't care if he has to take you down but either way he was taking her back."_

_"Why is he so insistant on her? Why can't he just let her go? She's married and had him arrested...twice."_

_"He said he loved her and that she was rightfully his."_

_"How's he figure that? She's a person not a thing. Ye can't just buy her."_

_"I said the same thing. He said to talk to her dad if I have anymore questions about it."_

_"What the fuck? Why? What's he have to do with this? I've never even talked to the bloke."_

_"Neither have I...they have a really strained relationship."_

_"Okay...do me a favor and find him. Find him and talk to him. I can't or she'll get suspicious."_

_"Okay. I'll stop by his flat tomorrow. I know where he is, Maizie had me stop by there one day to drop something off but told me to stay put."_

_"Okay, let me know what you find out."_

_"Will do. Later, mate."_ He puts away his phone and wraps his arms around Maizie from behind. He kisses her cheek, making her smile.

"Well hi to you too. What's this about?" He smiles.

"Nothing. Can't a man hold his wife?"

"I mean I guess so." He kisses her neck. "Ah, there it is. You always have a ulterior motive." He chuckles.

"I told ye I can't get enough of ye." She laughs and splashes him with water. "Hey!" He splashes her back, starting a water fight. 

"Okay, okay! Truce!" He laughs and grabs a towel and wipes off her face. She smiles at him and looks into his eyes. "Not bad, Mr. McKenzie."

"Why thank ye, Mrs. McKenzie." She blushes.

"That's still taking some getting used to." He kisses her softly.

"Does the rest of our lives sound long enough?"

"Mmm, maybe." He laughs and hugs her. That night Bobby lays in bed awake, unable to shut off his mind. _**Is there even something I can do? Would he really come to Scotland cause she's here? What does her dad have to do with anything? What does he mean he owns her? I wish Maw was here. She'd know what to do. Or even Da...**_ He looks over at Maizie who is sound asleep next to him, cuddled with Bruno on her other side. He gently gets up out of bed and gets dressed quietly. He writes a quick note and puts it on his pillow in case Maizie wakes up. He tip toes out of the room and grabs his jacket and keys. He finds himself sitting on the bench in front of his parents graves. For a while he just sits there and stares, feeling so lost. He thinks back to what Noah had told him when they were there before. He sighs and leans forward, thinking about his favorite memories of him and his parents. The first magic trick his dad taught him. The first time he baked with his mum. The holiday where they sat inside on a rainy day and played board games. His first school play that they went to. His football games. He started thinking what his dad would think of Maizie. He tried to picture what he'd say or do during some of her crazy, funny moments. For a long time he tried to think about what he would tell him right now or what he would do. He found himself crying instead of feeling better. He rests his head against his hands and sighs. He starts to get frustrated and stands up. He kicks the ground, trying to get his frustration out. **_Coming here was supposed to make me feel better not worse. What the fek is wrong with me??_** He rubs his face and groans. 

"Fek." He sighs and heads back to his car. He sits in his car for a while staring at nothing in particular. Eventually he turns it on and starts heading home. He makes it halfway home when he can't take his thoughts anymore and turns on the radio. At the red light he searches through the stations, only becoming more frustrated. The light turns green as he continues searching. He looks up and sees bright lights heading towards him fast. He hears a loud crash and then everything goes dark. He opens his eyes and looks around. He's at home in bed alone. "Lass?" He looks around and doesn't see her. A soft golden glow fills the room, a serene vibe taking over him. He walks around the house but doesn't find her and can't find his phone. The glow continues throughout the house. He walks by the window that overlooks the backyard and sees someone on the porch. He sighs with relief and walks out there. "There ye are, lass. Ye-" He stops and stares at his dad smiling back at him. He looked younger and healthy. His dad had hazel eyes and the same cheek bones, nose, lips and freckles just like Bobby's. His hair was trimmed short and his mustache neatly groomed. "Is this a dream?" His dad shrugs.

"Sort of. Bit difficult to explain."

"Where are we? Where's Maw? And Maizie and Bruno? And Olly?"

"Yer mum didn't come with me this time. I imagine Olly and Maizie are still at home."

"Maizie wasn't next to me when I woke up. Even if she wakes up before me she always stays in bed next to me until I wake up."

"This isn't the home yer in now. This is the home from when I last knew it." 

"I don't remember it being so glowy." He chuckles. 

"That's how I saw it. Always full of laughter and love, making everything feel warm and comforting." Bobby smiles.

"We did have a lot of good times. I was trying to remember them a bit ago..."

"It gets harder over time, doesn't it? I always had that problem with my parents when they passed."

"Did it ever get easier?"

"Nope. Never. It got to the point it didn't feel like my heart was breaking when I thought about them...but the pain never went away. That's usually how pain goes."

"Am I gonna have to live with this fer the rest of my life?"

"Aye. But ye know what helped me?"

"What?"

"Love. Yer mum specifically helped me a lot. That woman saved my life. She was my everything from the second we met. I was the luckiest man in the world to have found her. She always knew how to make things better by-"

"Just being there. Holding yer hand, wrapping her arms around ye, sometimes even just a smile. She somehow knows what to do when it feels like the world is falling apart. She becomes yer lifeline, like without her the world doesn't turn. I know exactly how that feels." His dad beams at him. 

"I'll be damned. Yer mum was right, yer a man in love. I never thought the day would come." Bobby laughs.

"Neither did I. But the second I looked into her eyes it was over. I knew she was it. Nothing was ever the same after that. She's amazing, ye'd love her. Maw did. I think Maw loved her more than me." His dad laughed.

"She told me ye'd say that. She's told me all about her. She said ye have the kind of relationship me and yer mum had. That's everything I could ask fer."

"Except we fight a lot. And ye didn't."

"Oh we fought a lot too. We just did it when ye boys weren't there. She would actually write out a list of what pissed her off to yell at me about later." Bobby laughs and sits next to him.

"Really? Somehow that makes so much more sense. I could see Maizie doing something like that too. Ye should've seen them together, Da. It was like they knew each other their whole lives. Maizie still talks about her all the time, she misses her so much."

"Yer mum misses her too." He sighs.

"So why're ye here, Da?"

"What? A father can't visit his son?" Bobby looks at him unamused. 

"Not when he's dead. That usually means something bad happened or will happened." He sighs.

"Got me there, Bobbo."

"Da...what's going on?" He looks at him for a moment.

"I'm just here to talk to ye."

"About?"

"Whatever ye wanna talk about. Whatever's on yer mind."

"Obviously Alex and Maizie are on my mind. I don't know what to do, Da. She's terrified of him. I thought she was past this stage. I mean, I knew she probably still had a lot of problems we needed to work through...I just didn't think it would get to her this bad. She's barely eating, she barely sleeps, she hardly laughs. I can get her to smile but laughing is really hard, which it's me. I've always been able to make everyone laugh. Seeing her so hurt over this just worries me. If this doesn't stop soon I could lose her."

"So do ye know what yer gonna do?"

"Not even a little bit. Alex mentioned something about Maizie's dad to Gary and Gary is gonna look into it, otherwise no. What can I do?"

"Ye know I went through the same thing with yer mum."

"Maw? How? When?"

"The lad right before me. He was an abusive asshole who damn near killed her more than once. Even after she got away and we started dating he kept trying to get her back under his control. In the beginning it took a real toll on us. I wasn't sure if we could make it. But we ended up coming through on the other side."

"How? I'm worried we may end up like that if we can't figure this out. We've been arguing everyday since she found out he was free."

"Honestly, I figured out this was her fight. Every time I tried to save the day it held him off fer a while but then he would come back. It took her standing against him by herself fer him to stop. All I could do was love her and support her. I was there to step in when she got too low but encouraged her and made her feel like she could do it. But in the end I couldn't do anything. This is Maizie's fight. Ye can be there fer her, and ye should, but she has to figure this one out on her own. This isn't something ye can fix even though ye want to."

"Yeah, that doesn't help at all." He chuckles.

"It doesn't sound like it but it does."

"I just wish I could take care of him. I mean he tortured her fer years. They were only together a year and a half but after that she suffered fer years. I don't want her to hurt anymore. She's so amazing and doesn't deserve any of the pain she's been through."

"I understand. Yer mum was the same way. She started getting to a point where she just got sick and tired of him still controlling her so she went off and beat the hell out of him. She beat him so bad he was in the hospital three weeks. She fought her fight and from that day on she was free of him. Fighting him back was the only thing that really freed her. I tried everything. Therapy, guard dog, self defense classes, me talking to him, arresting him, charging him, everything. The only thing that made it stop was her. If she's anything like yer mum has told me and anything like I've seen she can do this. But she can't do it unless ye support her. With ye and yer friends by her side she will be able to do this. I know ye want to protect her and stop her from getting hurt but ye can't. Trying to stop her from doing this is only going to drag it out and wear her down. She has to know she is independent. Going from being dependent from him to ye isn't going to help, even though ye'd never hurt her like that."

"But what if she loses?"

"She won't. She'll win. I know she will, she just has to get pissed enough." He's quiet a moment. "Do ye remember when ye took her to visit him after he hurt her last time?"

"Aye. She told him off, she was fed up with him thinking he controlled her. She looked so happy and free afterwards..." He looks at his dad, who just smiles back.

"Sometimes we ferget how strong these women really are and we just need to be reminded." He looks out to the field behind their flat for a few minutes.

"Hey Da."

"Aye?"

"Can I ask ye something?"

"Of course."

"If I was older is there something I could've done to keep ye around?"

"No. It was my time and no matter what anyone did it just was time fer me to go. I know ye wish ye could've but even if ye could do something it wouldn't have helped."

"Did it hurt?"

"Dying? Not really. They made it easier with the medications they gave me." He sits there quietly a moment.

"When did ye know ye were ready to become a dad?"

"I didn't really. We hadn't quite planned on ye yet but ye came along and brightened our world. The minute I held ye I knew I had to do whatever I could to protect ye and love ye. I hope I did good enough."

"Are ye kidding? Ye did amazing. Everything ye've taught me has stuck with me. I still think about how amazing ye are everyday and I wish more than anything ye could meet Maizie. I think ye'd love her." He smiles.

"From what yer mum says I do. And if ye chose her to be the one then she has to be really special." He clears his throat.

"I was almost a dad...he took that away too. I wasn't ready fer kids yet, and I don't think I am still. But it still hurts knowing we were so close to starting a family and then that chance being taken away. I know it still hurts her too...we haven't really talked about it much. But it hurts a lot more than I thought it would. She wants to be a mum really badly. She was really excited to finally become one and then..." He shrugs. "He took another thing away from her...from us." His dad takes his hand.

"I know it's hard fer ye, son. Losing a child can't be easy. But know that he's happy and safe now."

"He? It was a boy?"

"Aye. He looks just like ye but he has Maizie's eyes."

"Why isn't he here then?"

"We were worried ye'd make a choice before ye were ready just to be with him." He looks at him confused.

"Make a choice?" He looks at him, considering his words.

"Ye have two people who love ye more than anything. One is with yer mum and me and one is back in yer normal life. Ye get to decide what ye want to do. Right now yer in between and could go either way." _**Do I go be with our son or Maizie? I don't know our son...but he's my son. And I love Maizie but what if I'm holding her back? What if as long as I'm there she doesn't fight back?**_ "Come on, son." He stands up and walks inside and Bobby quickly follows. They walk towards Bobby's room and peek inside. Inside was a little boy standing in his crib. He bounced and smiled when he saw them. He reached out his hands for Bobby. Bobby looked at his dad.

"Is this..."

"This is James." His dad picks him up out of the crib and hands him to Bobby.

"He has her eyes. Da...how is this happening? Why is he so big? It's been no more than two or three months since then...and why is he in my room? Where did the crib come from?"

"It's difficult to explain...sometimes they change to what their parents need to see and what they want their parents to see. And he's in yer room cause he's yer son." He looks at James in his arms, and he smiles brightly at him. He leans his head against Bobby's. Bobby felt his heart flutter...the only other time it did that was with Maizie. 

"He's so beautiful..." He lays his head against Bobby's shoulder, Bobby's heart started racing. "This can't be real..." 

"It's not over yet. Come on." They walk out of the room into what looks like a waiting room. Everyone he knew was there. All his friends in Scotland, all his friends from the Villa, Maizie's mum and sister, Olly...and Maizie. She stood alone looking out the windows with Bruno sitting next to her. Noah looks at Gary.

"Has she talked to you yet?" Gary shakes his head.

"She won't even look at me....I don't know what to do. She's never been like this. She won't talk to anyone." Noah sighs and looks at her. 

"I'm gonna give it a try...." He stands up and walks over to Maizie. He doesn't say anything at first he just looks out the window. He sighs. "I remember when we were at the Villa and got the video from Casa Amor. Me and him hurt the same way. We both wanted to be alone and spent the whole day by ourselves. He never pushed me to talk and I never pushed him to talk. We talked when we wanted to. But for most of the day we just sat there, silently supporting each other. He understood me and I understood him. That's when I knew he was my absolute best friend. The women we loved were both being grafted on hard by other bloke's that were much better than us. And we both allowed ourselves to be in that position. But at the end of the day we stuck. We stuck because we thought long and hard about what you girls meant to us. What being with you meant to us. I can say with full confidence he's made it this far because of you. I've literally never seen anyone love another person like he loves you. And I like to think that's why he'll make it. Because he wants to be with you...." She sniffles and wipes her eyes.

"I keep thinking that he hasn't come around yet because something else is holding him back."

"Like what?"

"I believe in the supernatural and heaven and hell, right? What if he sees his mum or dad...or our baby. What if he sees them and wants to be with them instead? I can't be mad if he does...I don't know what I'd do. But I can't help but think...what am I gonna do without him? What if he doesn't come back to me? How am I gonna make it? He doesn't realize he didn't just give me the freedom to find myself...he gave me the strength. He always tells me I am my own strength...but he is. He's why I've survived. Without him I wouldn't be here...literally."

"How so?"

"The day I fought back...the day you boys came to my flat and found me I fought back. But I fought back because I thought about him and our child. And I thought what would they say right now if they were here. They would say I decide my worth and I'm not weak. So I fought back. I told Alex exactly that. So yes I fought because I was tired of him telling me my worth, but only because I thought about him. He's who I turn to for everything. He's my safe place..." Noah sighs.

"Why haven't you told him any of this?" She shrugs.

"I don't know. I guess I didn't want him to know how much I depend on him. If he knows that he'll either leave to make me independant or he'll realize how much I need him and abuse it."

"What if he realizes how much he means to you and tells you how much you mean to him? He depends on you the same way."

"Please. He was willing to hand me over to Carl."

"Maizie, I don't think you realize the sacrifice it takes to even say something like that let alone mean it. He stayed by your side the whole time you were unconscious except when you were in surgery. He barely slept, he barely ate, all because he had to make sure you were okay. And he told me over and over how much he loves you and how devastated he would be if he lost you. But he loves you so much all he wants is for you to be happy. Your happiness comes above his. So if you were happier with Carl he was willing to let you go just so you could be happy. That's true sacrifice that many people don't know it exist." She wipes her face.

"What did I do to deserve him? I swear I haven't been as good to him as he has me. I wish he would just talk to me sometimes. Why doesn't he tell me when something gets to be too much?"

"Because he knows you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders already and he can't add to it. Instead he tries to take some of it off of you." She looks at Noah.

"How can he be so pure in a world like this?"

"Because he's Bobby. He's a man that cares for everyone even if they don't deserve it. The only exception is Alex." She watches the raindrops race down the windows. Bobby looks at James and back at Maizie. He stands by her and looks at her face. James smiles and reaches a hand out to her. 

"Mumma." She turns around in their direction, a bewildered look on her face. Slowly she turns back around. Bobby looks at his dad and they walk back through a door and onto the back porch. Bobby sits down with James in his lap and bounces him, making him laugh. He looks at his dad.

"I have to choose between him and her?" He nods.

"Aye. It's not an easy choice, but both will understand." He looks at James and he cuddles into him again. He closed his eyes and held onto him closely. His heart felt like it was shattering, a tear escaped before he could stop it. He looks at his dad.

"Both are gonna hurt, aren't they?"

"Aye."

"But whoever I don't chose won't be mad?"

"Aye. They'll understand." He looks at James again and smiles.

"I love ye, little man." He hugs him again and looks at his dad. He nods and smiles. He stands up and they hug as tightly as they can without hurting James. He looks into his dad's eyes. "Yer still there right? Yer still there fer us?"

"I always have been and always will be. No matter where ye go I'll be there with James and yer mum. And Maizie too. She's our daughter and we love her all the same." He nods and looks at him. "Stop beating yerself up, Bobby. There's nothing ye could've done. It wasn't like this fer me, I didn't get this chance. Go home to her. We'll wait fer ye as long as we need to. We'll always be here. I have no regrets. Ye and Olly turned out to be the men I always hoped ye would be. I'm so proud of ye both." Bobby hugs him again and looks at James.

"I'll see ye later, yeah? Promise ye'll visit yer mummy soon, she misses ye." He hugs him and kisses his cheek before handing him to his dad. He looks at him. "I don't know if I'm ready to say goodbye yet."

"Ye can take all the time ye need. Ye don't have to rush."

"I don't think I'll ever be ready. I miss ye both so much."

"I know. But lean on Maizie when it hurts, trust me it'll help. Don't let her go." He nods and wipes his cheeks, sniffling. "I love ye, son. We all do. Yer mum says she loves ye and to tell everyone else she loves them too. And she's so proud of ye and Olly."

"I love ye all too." His dad squeezes his arm and smiles. Bobby slowly walks backwards to the door. He looks at James and his dad again, his heart aching. They both smile at him. Before he walks in his dad remembers something.

"Oh! And I fergot to say...congratulations, Bobby." Bobby smiles and walks back inside. A flash of light blinds him and then darkness surrounds him. A minute later he opens his eyes and sees Maizie and Oliver sitting next to each other, fast asleep leaning on each other. Bruno is asleep on the ground beside Maizie. He smiles as he looks at them. Noah looks in the room and smiles. Bobby motions for him to be quiet. Noah points to his phone, Bobby shrugs. Noah nods and quietly sits next to Bobby. He pulls up his notes and types something, showing it to Bobby when he's done.

_"You're awake! How do you feel?"_

_"My head hurts but otherwise okay."_

_"Do you know what happened?"_

_"Car accident?"_

_"Yeah, your car is dead by the way. But the other guy didn't make it. You kept doing good then bad and they didn't know why. They weren't sure if you would make it or not."_

_"Neither did I. How's Maizie been?"_

_"She wouldn't talk to anyone except me. and she only sleeps when she accidentally falls asleep. She hasn't eaten anything. She says she just feels sick to her stomach right now."_

_"When did everyone find out? How long has it been?"_

_"It's been two days. After you got here they looked up your emergency contact on your license and found Oliver's number. They called him and he woke up Maizie and brought her here. As soon as he found out what was going on he called us. We got here as soon as we could. Everyone from the Villa came, just like we did with Maizie."_

_"You didn't have to. If you guys miss much more work no one will have a job."_

_"Priya's job allows her a lot of wiggle room and so does Lottie's, Henrik's, Elijah's and Chelsea's. Mine is salary based not hourly and I have lots of vacation time still. Marisol can make up her finals. And Gary's getting a different job. But don't worry about us right now."_

_"Then you don't worry about me."_

_"Not the same thing, Bobby. You're hurt and we're not. Why were you driving in the middle of the night anyway?"_

_"I couldn't sleep and went to see Maw and Da. I was trying to clear my head and figure out what to do about Maizie and Alex."_

_"Did you at least get to figure it out before the accident?"_

_"Not before the accident. But after I did."_

_"So what are you going to do?"_

_"There's nothing I can do except support and comfort Maizie. This is her fight, she has to be the one to stop this. Otherwise she'll never move on."_

_"What if she can't? She says you're her strength, if you don't do anything she won't feel strong enough."_

_"She can and I'm not gonna just step aside and tell her to figure it out. I'll be by her side the whole time but she has to find the strength in herself, not me."_ Maizie and Olly start to stir in their chairs. They open their eyes and look at Bobby, both of them jump up. Maizie puts a hand on his cheek.

"Bobby! You're awake!" Oliver takes his hand.

"How do ye feel? Are ye alright?" He smiles.

"Aye, I'm fine." Maizie sighs and he can see the tension leave her shoulders. Before she can stop it she starts crying. "Hey, it's okay. Everything is okay, lass. I'm fine." He coaxs her into his chest and wraps his arms around her. Her body fits perfectly into his.

"I thought I lost you. I didn't know what to do, I was so scared you wouldn't come back to me. I need you a lot more than I want to admit." He gently lifts her face so she's looking into his eyes.

"I'll always come back to ye. I need ye just as much if not more. I'm yers and yer mine, remember?" She smiles and nods. She gently kisses him.

"You ever leave in the middle of the night again and I'll kill you myself." He laughs.

"Okay, I promise I'll stop." She sighs with relief and leans against him again, sniffling. He looks at Olly. 

"Bobby....as soon as yer better I'm punching ye. Don't ever scare us like that again. Yer dumbass is gonna give me a damn heart attack." Bobby laughs. 

"I'll be good I promise." Noah smiles and stands up.

"Well, I'm going to go let everyone know you're awake." Bobby looks at everyone. 

"Actually, can ye ask Gary to come here. I'd like to talk to him alone a bit." Maizie looks at him confused but doesn't say anything. Noah nods and goes to get Gary. He comes back a minute later. Gary smiles and walks up to him.

"Bobby! Thank god you're alright, mate. You really had us all worried."

"I didn't mean to, I promise." Maizie clears her throat. 

"Well, we will leave you two to chat. I love you." She gives him a quick peck and leaves with Bruno, Olly and Noah. Gary sighs and looks at him.

"I talked to him. I went to work a bit later the day after we talked."

"And? What did he say?" Gary closes his eyes, his jaw tense and his hands in fists. He takes a deep breath and looks at him.

"It's so fucked up, Bobby. This might be one of the things we have to tell her." He sighs.

"Well what is it?"

"Bobby, he basically sold Maizie to him." 

"What?! How??? When???"

"He met Alex when Alex came over to his house to do some side work for extra cash. He wasn't alone, he worked for some carpeting company or something. He saw a picture of Maizie and asked about her. Her dad said it was his daughter and apparently started going on and on about how great she is. They discovered they both went to the same uni. Maizie didn't know they'd already met when she started dating Alex. Her dad felt like Alex wasn't good enough and joked that the only way he'd approve was if he paid him a ton of money. He was joking at first, then his drinking started getting him into debt. Alex offered him actaul money if he convinced Maizie to move in with him. He agreed. Alex paid him money for Maizie...he bought her. She doesn't know any of this. He feels awful since Alex started hurting her and tried to give him his money back but he refused. He said she was his now. That's why he won't let her go. He honestly believes he owns her and she's his property." Bobby felt his anger pump through his veins. 

"Are ye feking serious right now? He sold her to him?? She's not a thing, she's a person. Ye can't sell people. That's called human trafficking."

"Bobby, we have to tell her. She has to know this."

"Not yet though. At least wait until I'm out of here. She'll push herself aside to care fer me and I want her to focus on her when she finds out."

"You have a point there. She's gonna need all the support she can get after this. We'll wait but as soon as ye go home we have to."

"Right. He really said that? How can ye do something like that? How can ye sell yer child to someone? I met mine fer all of five minutes and I'd never do that to him. What kind of parent can do that? He's supposed to protect her and be the man she's supposed to count on." Gary sighs.

"I know. I almost hit him when he told me. If he wasn't a blubbering drunk I would've." 

"Does her mum know?"

"Probably not. I think they were divorced by then." They sat there silently fuming. The doctors released him a few days later. As soon as they were home Gary and Bobby took Maizie to the porch outback. They sit down next to her, she immediately knew something was wrong. Bruno lays his head in her lap and whines.

"What is it? What happened?" Bobby takes her hand.

"We, well Gary, found some stuff out that we think ye need to know..." Gary told her everything from what Alex said at the pub to when he visited her dad. She turned red as soon as he got to the part about the money. She stood angrily.

"Are you fucking serious right now?? That bastard sold me?? He actually traded me for money like I'm his fucking property? And Alex is stupid enough to think I'm actually his?" She paced around angrily. She was quiet for a long moment. Gary and Bobby exchange worried looks.

"Zi...what are you thinking right now?" She stares at the ground before looking at them, fire in her eyes.

"I'm gonna put a stop to this shit now. I'm taking my life back from both of those bastards. This shit ends now." _**I don't know if I should feel proud or scared....**_


	17. Another Row

She goes inside and starts packing a bag. Bobby and Gary follow her.

"Lass, what exactly are ye gonna do?? Ye can't go find him and beat the hell out of him."

"He'll find me, I don't need to find him. But I'm not going to London for him. First I'm going so I can give my dad a piece of my fucking mind. How dare he stoop so low he fucking sells me. Who the fuck does he think he is?? I'm his daughter. He's supposed to protect me and love me not sell me off to pay off his debts and support his drinking problem." The others gather in the hallway. Lottie frowns.

"What the fuck is going on?" Maizie sighs and turns to them.

"It turns out that Alex thinks he owns me because he paid my dad money when me and Alex were dating so that he could 'have his blessing' to live with me and shit. My own fucking dad sold me to a man." Everyone's jaws drop. They all exchange looks before they start getting their stuff together. Maizie looks at them confused. "What are you doing?" Hope shrugs.

"We all live either in or around London anyway. Might as well make it a group trip."

"You guys, I appreciate it but this needs to be me...maybe Bobby." Bobby looks at her confused.

"Uh, maybe Bobby? Lass, I don't mean to sound rude but I'm going. I won't say anything or do anything if ye don't want me to, but I want to be there. I can't let ye walk around London by yerself. Alex is running around trying to find ye right now." She sighs.

"You just got released from the hospital."

"And? I was _released._ Which means I'm not hurt anymore so I'm going. I'm not sitting here at home or somewhere else and letting ye go off by yerself."

"What, you get to tell me what to do now?"

"That's not fair, Maizie. Ye know damn well I'm not trying to tell ye what to do. Ye know I don't do that or want to do that. I'm saying what I'm gonna do."

"It sounds an awful lot like you're trying to tell me what I'm gonna do. I knew I shouldn't have told you that shit about depending on you." He looks at her hurt. For a minute he doesn't say anything. He clears his throat.

"That's a new low, Maizie. Ye know I don't ever want to control ye or tell ye what to do. But fine. I won't go. Be safe. Call me when ye get there...if ye feel like it that is." He turns and grabs his jacket and keys before he walks out the door. Lottie chases after him.

"Bobby! Bobby wait!" He turns and looks at her.

"No, Lottie. Go back inside."

"No. You know she doesn't mean that. She's just mad."

"So? Being angry doesn't give her an excuse to accuse me of things everyone knows I would never do. It doesn't give her a right to start acting like I'm anything like that. We've been together almost a year and she's still doing this shit? Fek that. Call me if she gets hurt." He heads towards the car.

"Bobby!" 

"No, Lottie! Leave me alone! I want to be left alone! Stop following me and stop talking to me! This conversation is over!" Gary shouts at him from the door.

"Bobby! Don't you dare take it out on her! She hasn't done anything wrong!"

"Ye can fek off too! I'm not doing this shit right now!" Noah walks outside. "Don't ye dare either! Why can't ye all just leave me alone?! I'm leaving and no one follows me! Yer staying here and leaving me the hell alone!" He turns and gets in the car and drives off. He went to the spot by the water fall and leans against one of the trees. He watches the waterfall for a long time. Every time he comes to that spot he thinks about when he proposed to her. **_I thought she understood I don't want that, I never have and never will. I love that she speaks her own mind and is so independent. I don't want to tell her what to do. But letting her go alone is dangerous. She knows he's trying to find her and she's going to him. She knows he's there and is trying to hurt her again and she doesn't want me to go? Unless there's something she's hiding from me then there shouldn't be a reason she wouldn't want me there. We're married, we should be able to lean on each other...why is she still pushing me away??? Why would she agree to marry me if she wasn't ready?_** She clears her throat behind him. He sighs. "Probably shouldn't have brought ye here cause now ye always know where to find me."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"Sometimes, yeah."

"Even thought the first time you brought me here was to propose to me?" He doesn't say anything. "Are you saying you regret bringing me here even if it was to propose to me?" He's still quiet. "Bobby, fucking answer me."

"What do ye want me to say, Maizie???"

"Well for starters you can say you don't regret proposing to me."

"I don't regret proposing to ye, alright." She sighs.

"Look, I'm sorry for what I said. I was just pissed."

"And that makes it alright? I'm supposed to just fergive ye and act like ye haven't said that to me twice now?"

"The first time was almost a year ago! And I apologized! And you forgave me!" He looks at her finally.

"My point isn't that I'm upset about ye saying it then cause I'm not. I've moved on from it but I don't want this to be a pattern our whole marriage. I don't want ye to accuse me of being anything like that when ye know damn well I'm not. I've done more than enough to prove that to ye. I know ye know that and it hurts when ye say shit like that. I love that ye love me so much ye feel like ye need me cause I feel exactly the same way. I've always felt like that. When I was in my coma I literally told my Da ye were my lifeline. Without ye life is just shit. I always felt like maybe I loved ye more than ye loved me but hearing ye say I'm yer strength and how much ye care about me makes me feel like maybe I don't love ye more than ye love me. But I would never use it against ye or use it to control ye. I don't want control. But it's just stupid to expect to go to the place yer abusive ex is when ye know damn well he is trying to find ye. And ye just want to go alone? Why? Why alone?" She looks away, her eyes watering.

"Because I don't want you there for the conversation with my dad and if you wait in the car it would be a good chance for him to get to you."

"So ye would just rather go completely alone and risk him getting ye? How does that make sense?" She looks down.

"None of it makes sense, okay? None of those plans are a good one."

"Why don't ye want me there fer the conversation with yer dad? Is there something yer not telling me?" She blushes and clears her throat, avoiding his eyes.

"No. I just...don't." He looks at her a minute.

"Maizie, I can tell when yer lying to me. Ye don't have to tell me what it is but don't lie to me."

"What makes you think you know me so well?" He looked at her like she's crazy.

"Seriously? Uh, maybe because I'm yer husband. Maybe because we've been together almost a year. Maybe because I've picked up on what changes when ye do lie." 

"Well stop it! I don't like you knowing me like this! I have no privacy." He rubs his face.

"Then why did ye marry me? Ye knew marriage is like this. Ye know yer spouse like the back of yer hand. Ye know what they want and need without them saying so and ye know when they're hiding something or lying to ye. If ye didn't want to have this then we shouldn't have gotten married."

"I didn't realize it was gonna be all in your face and shit."

"Maizie, yer making no sense. Are ye saying ye regret marrying me?" She looks down and doesn't say anything. His heart felt like it was shattering into a million pieces again. He nods and clears his throat, trying to make it not sound like he's in pain. "Right. I guess I'll get this fixed then so ye don't have to deal with this anymore." He turns and walks away, a tear sliding down his cheek. He turns off his phone and doesn't go home. He drives around trying to figure out where to go that she won't know. He remembers a spot him and Olly used to go to when they were kids. He drove to one of the other parks closer to his flat and got out of the car. He walked for a while before he found the huge tree they used to climb. It sat on a hill that looked over their neighborhood. For most of their childhood free time they would spend many afternoons climbing the tree and eating lunch under it in the shade. They even put a swing in it that was still there. He hadn't been there since the day his Da died. He saw all their markings they carved in the tree. The last one was of their dad's name and the date. Olly found him there when their dad died and just sat with him until it got dark. He didn't say a word except how to spell their dad's full name. He ran his hand over his name. He sighs and sits on the ground in front of the tree. He finally let his feelings hit him and didn't stop the tears. **_Why does it feel like everything is always falling apart? When can we get a break? Why can't we just be happy a while with no ex's turning up or any family dying or near death experiences fer either of us? Does she really regret marrying me?_** He rest his elbows on his knees and rest the back of his head on the tree. Someone sits next to him and puts down an orange fizzy drink. He looks at Oliver. "Ye found me." Oliver shrugs.

"Ye weren't any of the places Maizie checked. She knows every place ye would go except here. Cause this was our spot and no one else's. We haven't been here since the day Da died so I figured this is probably where ye ended up when ye weren't anywhere else. This is the one place yer safest to come without any of them finding ye."

"And the drink?" He smiles.

"Fer old times sake." Oliver looks over the hill at the view of the neighborhood. "I used to feel like this was our castle when we came here. We spent so many days here I'm surprised we didn't try to live here." Bobby smiles.

"We did one day. We made until about nine, maybe ten, o'clock before we got scared. We brought clothes and snacks and pillows. We had planned on building a flat here." Oliver looks at him.

"No way. Did Maw and Da find out?"

"Aye. They weren't happy we were out past dark. They grounded us fer a month...but we got ungrounded after a week cause we were driving maw crazy being stuck at home."

"Why don't I remember this?" Bobby shrugs.

"Sometimes things just slip yer mind as ye get older." Oliver draws in the dirt with a stick.

"Ye ever picture our kids coming here together like we did? I have, many times. I like to think about that stuff sometimes. It was with Ainsley but we broke up." Bobby sighs.

"I ferget ye did sometimes. How long has it been?"

"Since ye went to London and saved Maizie. So what two maybe three months. We're still really good mates, best mates even. It just stopped being romantic." He smiles at Bobby. "The Blackwood sisters are a tough breed. Even the McKenzie brothers struggle and we got game and hella patience." Bobby laughs.

"I really can't believe ye just said that right now. What the fek." Oliver laughs.

"Yer telling me ye never thought of that the whole time we were dating sisters???" Bobby shakes his head, smiling.

"Not once. It never occurred to me that's what was happening." They laugh again. "Wow. The McKenzie brothers and Blackwood sisters. Ye think their mum said that too???" Oliver shrugs.

"I didn't want to know what she thought about it. People sometimes thinks it's really weird if a pair of brothers marry a pair of sisters."

"Why is it weird? Either way our kids would be cousins. They'll still be cousins but now their aunt and uncle won't be their aunt and uncle cause their uncle is their dads brother and their aunt is their mums sister....that gets confusing." Oliver laughs.

"Maybe it's a good thing me and Ainsley broke up then. Now it won't be confusing when ye have kids." Bobby's quiet a moment.

"I think we might end up that way too so it wouldn't be an issue anyway." Oliver sighs.

"If ye want to talk about what happened I'm all ears. But if ye don't we won't." Bobby thinks a moment.

"When she got there I said I regretted taking her there cause I can never just be left alone. She asked if I still regret it even though that was where I proposed. I didn't answer cause I didn't know how to say it. I didn't regret proposing to her I just regretted sharing that spot with her cause now I feel like I have no where to escape to clear my head. And then we started talking about why she didn't want me to go with her. She's hiding something about her dad and I don't want to push her to tell me, and I didn't, but I told her she doesn't have to tell me but not to lie to me. She said she wasn't lying to me. I told her I know when she's lying to me and she said she hates that I know her so well. I told her that's what marriage is and if she didn't like it why did she marry me. She said she wouldn't have if she knew it was like this. I asked if she regretted marrying me and she didn't say anything...she avoided looking at me. So I told her I'd take care of it so she wasn't stuck in this anymore."

"Do ye actually want to get divorced?"

"Not even a little bit. But I'm not gonna force her to be with me if she doesn't want to be. If marriage is too much fer her then I'll give her a divorce."

"So why not talk to her about this?" He shrugs.

"Why try and convince her being married to me is a good thing if she doesn't want to be?"

"But did she say she didn't want to be?"

"She only avoids looking at me when she doesn't want to say something. If she didn't regret it she would've said something but she didn't say a word. She does that when she doesn't want to admit something." Oliver sighs.

"Man women are confusing."

"What happened after I left the flat?"

"I'm not even gonna lie, pretty much everyone gave her an ear full. They didn't yell at her or degrade her but they definitely made it known it was feked up fer her to say that. We all agree ye would never do that and it's unfair of her to say shit like that to ye. Even if she's just mad she can't say shit like that. Being mad doesn't give ye an excuse to say hurtful things."

"That's exactly what I'm saying! I said that to Lottie too when she said she was just mad. She can be mad but that's now the second time she's said something like that to me."

"When was the first time?"

"Remember that night I played judge? And the thing about her knickers came up?"

"Aye."

"Well after that we were talking and she almost fell and I caught her and pulled too hard and she fell on top of me. We kiss and then she pulled away. I guess I looked hurt or something cause she asked what was wrong. We started trying to talk about her coupling up with Elijah and sending me mixed signals. I mean one morning we're amazing and then ten minutes later she shuts me out and refuses to talk to me and couples up with this new lad. She said she couldn't tell me what happened that morning to make her shut me out and I told her she didn't need to but she did need to give me some sort of explanation. She turned the need part around and said I didn't _need_ to know anything and I was just like Alex." Oliver raises his eyebrows.

"Wow. Did not see that part." Bobby shrugs.

"She's only done it twice now but it hurts all the same. The first one, I'll give her that one. We were still barely a couple and things were moving really fast and the pressure of the Villa was getting to us. But now we've been together almost a year. We've been married six months and now all of a sudden she wants to say that? And now all of a sudden she regrets marrying me? I can't keep doing this. This is why I've never been in a relationship. It's too much work."

"But is it worth it? Aye, it takes a lot of work to be with someone but ye have to decide if the work is worth being with them. I haven't found that person yet but ye so obviously have. I know ye love her and want to be with her more than anything. And I know ye don't want to feel like yer telling her what to do but ye need to get a straight answer from her. But maybe have someone else there so it can't get twisted." He sighs and rubs his face.

"I don't want to make her be with me."

"Ye won't. No matter what she says she knows ye aren't like that and won't make her do anything. She chooses to be with ye cause she wants to not cause she has to."

"Dinnae ken, mate. Maybe this was just a big mistake."

"Are ye saying ye regret marrying her?"

"No. But maybe things just changed too much. I mean we have been through a lot of shit together this year. Maw passing away, the Noah problem, two break ups, the Alex thing, the car accident and now this dad thing. Maybe it's just too much fer us."

"But that's what marriage is. Marriage is about going through hell together and standing by each other and supporting each other. Marriage comes to a point where things get hard. Each day ye wake up ye have to decide if ye want to love them or not. Either choice ye make either builds yer marriage or destroys it. Ye have to ask yerself which choice are ye gonna make." He sighs and groans.

"Can I go back into a coma? I liked that better." He talks under his breath. "I think I made the wrong choice."

"What do ye mean ye made the wrong choice? When? In yer coma?" Bobby looks at the hills again.

"Never mind. I guess we should be getting back then." They stand up and Oliver looks at the tree. He sees where they carved their dads name. He just stares at it a minute.

"I miss him, Bobby. A lot." Bobby looks at him.

"Me too, Olly. But I know he misses us too. And I know he loves ye and is really proud of the man ye've become." Oliver smiles.

"Ye know that, huh?" He shrugs.

"Let's say it came to me in a dream." He smiles at him. "But I'm proud of ye too. I guess ye came out good even though I was the one that had to help raise ye." Oliver chuckles.

"Ye it's a miracle I came out alright with ye raising me." Bobby gently pushes him.

"Shut up, big head." 

"Make me, dummy." Bobby ruffles Oliver's hair.

"Come on, stupid. Let's go home." When they get home Bobby stands at the front door a minute with Olly next to him.

"Ye've got this, mate. Everything will turn out okay." Bobby smiles at him.

"Thanks fer having my back, Olly."

"Ah, that's what the McKenzie brothers are about." He opens the door and wiggles his eyebrows, making Bobby laugh as they go inside. Bobby looks at him.

"Ye better stop calling us that. It sounds so stupid." Olly shrugs and shuts the door.

"That's literally what we are though! We are the McKenzie brothers. I didn't just make it up. I'm not too thrilled to have ye as a brother either but that's what happened. I still think yer adopted but Maw and Da never admitted it so we'll never know." Bobby gently pushes Olly's head.

"Yer the adopted one. I was the miracle child and they found ye on the door step. I thought they brought home a rat." Oliver looks at him shocked.

"Oh, that's mean. Don't talk about Sam like that." Bobby laughs at him and rolls his eyes.

"See, yer a dumbass." They turn and see everyone staring at them, Maizie is glaring at him her eyes red. "What?" She stands up.

"What do you mean 'what'? You disappear for hours and come home laughing and acting like you didn't tell me we were getting a divorce." Gary crosses his arms and frowns at him. Bobby's good mood quickly disappears. Oliver steps in front of Bobby and frowns at Maizie.

"Oi. Do not make him feel bad fer having a laugh with me. I'm his damn brother and that's the most we've been able to hang out one on one in months cause life won't stop throwing shit at our family. And just cause he was laughing when we came in doesn't mean he hasn't been upset this whole time about yer fight. I just spent however long there with him trying to calm him down and get things where the two of ye can feking talk. Like I always do cause fer some reason the two of ye fight and start acting like children. I don't mean to be disrespectful but maybe ye should give him a chance to talk instead of jumping down his throat the second he walks in the door." Everyone stares at Oliver with surprise, even Bobby. He looks at Bobby. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to act like that." He walks to his room without another word. Bobby looks in the direction of his room for a minute, frowning. **_Is that really the most time we've been able to spend together? Is that why he's so distant now?_** He looks down a minute, guilt suddenly hitting him. He looks up and sees everyone staring at him. He sighs and points to Lottie.

"Grab yer jacket." He walks outback and sits on the porch. A minute later she comes out and sits next to him but doesn't say anything. "Fer the record I didn't actually say I'd divorce her. I asked if she regretted marrying me and she went quiet and wouldn't look at me. Ye know she does that when she doesn't want to say something. So I took that as a yes and told her I'll get it fixed so she doesn't have to deal with this anymore. I don't want a divorce. Fer some reason my stupid ass wants to stay with her."

"Why do you think that makes you stupid?"

"Let's face it, Lottie. This relationship hasn't been fifty-fifty. I've always been the one that has given myself one-hundred percent into this and she's always held back. Even when she said she'd be my girlfriend, even when she accepted my proposal and even when she married me. I've always accepted I'm the one in this more than her and it's getting to be too much. I'm her goddamn husband she still thinks she has to keep secrets even when I haven't given her a reason to. I've made my share of mistakes but I feel like I treat her better than she treats me sometimes. I feel like I'm in this more than her most of the time." Lottie sighs.

"We've all seen that. We know it too. But she needs someone like you. She's a hard person to love and it's hard for her to show how much she loves you because every time she does something happens and she convinces herself it's worse than it actually is. For a long time she was forced to think like that as a survival instinct. Rewiring someone's brain like that takes a lot more time. She does love you just as much as you but she doesn't know how to show you."

"Not hiding things from me would be a good start. And it's not that she didn't want to tell me, it's she lied about not telling me something. If she's not ready to tell me that's fine, she doesn't have to. But I don't like her lying to me about hiding something."

"And that's completely understandable. You have every right to feel that way, most people would too. But you two need to talk and figure this out. It's getting to her just as much as it is you. She's not going to London tonight but she is going tomorrow. You need to get this solved while you can instead of avoiding it. If you avoid it and she leaves before you do and something happens to her you're going to hate yourself." He sighs.

"Dammit. Why do ye have to be right?" She smiles.

"Cause I'm a genius." He raises his eyebrows.

"That's a bit of a stretch, Lozza." She gasps and shoves him lightly.

"That's rude." He chuckles and looks at her. She sighs. "So about you and Olly...I saw your face when he said all that stuff. What were you thinking?"

"That I've been neglecting the one person who knows anything and everything about me and has our whole lives. He was my best friend my whole life and I've been so distracted by everything else I haven't been there fer him and yet he hasn't hesitated being there fer me. I've been a really shitty big brother. I wasn't even there fer him when him and Ainsley broke up. I didn't realize that until earlier." 

"To be fair, you've had a whole lot of shit happen in the past year. But I don't think he holds it against you. I mean he said shit keeps happening to _our_ family which means he still loves you both a lot and doesn't blame you for neglecting him a bit. Maybe just try and choose a day every once in a while just the two of you. Check on him every couple days, include him more. You already have dinner every night together so there's that." He sighs.

"I swear it feels like my life is constantly falling apart." She puts a hand on his shoulder.

"That's why you have your family...us too. We're your makeshift family." He smiles.

"Thanks, Lozza. And I'm sorry fer yelling at ye. I didn't mean to take it out on ye."

"I know. I'm not mad. I should've seen you were too upset to talk yet. I just was worried about you leaving angrily like that. I don't want you to get hurt anymore." He smiles.

"Alright, I get yer point. I'll try not to let anyone worry about me." They stand and hug. He sighs and pulls away. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"I'm gonna talk to Maizie and everybody is gonna be there so we don't say something stupid and make it worse." She raises her eyebrows but says nothing. He walks inside with Lottie and stands in front of everyone. He pinches the bridge of his nose. "Alright, Maizie. What is it?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean tell me what yer thinking right now." She frowns.

"In front of everyone?"

"Aye. It's getting late and I'm tired of walking around. And also they're here so neither of us says something we'll regret." She sits back and doesn't say anything. "Fine. I'll go. I don't want a divorce. I want to stay married to ye, I want to be married fer the rest of our lives. I said that cause yer silence when I asked if ye regretted getting married seemed like a yes to me. I don't want to but I've always said this stops when ye say it does. And I didn't regret proposing to ye, I regret sharing that spot with ye only cause now it feels like I have no where to go to clear my head. I told ye when I took ye there that I went there when things got to be too much and I needed space. But ye haven't let me have any space every time I go there fer that since then. Sometimes I just need to cool off and clear my head and it just feels like no matter where I go I can never get that chance. I get sometimes ye need to talk to me but talking to me there isn't gonna help. If I'm there it means I need time. The past few times ye've gone to see me there it didn't help. It made things worse. And not just cause ye went there, cause I was too upset to give ye the proper attention ye deserve to talk it out. Being forced to talk when I'm not ready doesn't fix anything."

"So you're mad I go there to talk to you? And you don't want me there?"

"No. I'm mad ye don't even give me time to cool off. I was there all of five minutes before ye went there. At least give me some time to calm down. It's not ye being there at all, it's ye being there immediately and not letting me get some headspace." She thinks a moment.

"I didn't think about it like that...I'm sorry."

"What I need to know is do ye regret marrying me? Ye never actually answered and I shouldn't assume things but usually when ye avoid looking at me and don't say anything it's cause ye don't want to say something. Which is usually something that's not good. Do ye regret marrying me? Do ye want a divorce?"

"I don't want a divorce."

"But ye do regret marrying me?" She sighs.

"Sort of. Not in a it's your fault way but in a it's my fault way. You're amazing...which I kind of hate about you sometimes." He looks at her confused.

"Ye hate that I'm a good lad?"

"Sometimes."

"Why? That makes no sense. I thought ye loved that about me."

"I do love that about you." He leans forward and puts his hands on his knees.

"Jesus Christ this is making my head hurt. Ye love that I'm a good guy but ye also hate it?" 

"Yes." He looks at the other lads.

"Are all women like this? Am I the only one that's confused by this?" Noah and Gary smile. Noah clears his throat.

"We're confused too and yes all women are like this." Hope frowns at him.

"Excuse you?" He looks at her sharply.

"Don't you start. This isn't our fight, our fights are over. This is about them." Everyone stares at them. Noah sighs and looks away. "Anyway, Maizie maybe you could explain this a bit better. Like why do you hate it and why do you love it?" She groans.

"God this is awkward. Fine. I hate it because you are so good to me and you're so good to everyone I feel like it makes me look bad or that I'm crazy or something. I don't feel good enough to deserve you. But I love it because you're the only guy that's ever been like this with me. You love me but not in a controlling way."

"Lass, love isn't controlling at all. Anyone that's convinced ye love can be controlling is a dumbass. Love is supposed to encourage and support ye and yer differences. Like how ye depend on Gary. Ye trust him with yer life. Ye know ye can be completely free and yerself when he's around cause ye know he'll protect ye and support ye. Yer so different yet yer best friends. That's a type of love. Our love is supposed to be like that but more intimate and romantic. Like how it is when we..." He glances around. "Ye know. The feelings we have then is what we're supposed to feel. But ye have to let yerself feel that all the time. The only time I ever see that vulnerability is during...that...and after. Any other time yer affectionate and tell me ye love me, and every time we snog or cuddle I still get all those stupid butterflies but it still feels like yer holding back. And I know why and I don't blame ye. And I don't want ye to force yerself to let me in, I'm just telling ye how I feel. I'm sorry if I make ye feel like yer not enough cause ye are. Ye really think I would fly to London as much as I have fer just anyone? I hate London and flying. I only went fer ye. Ye really think I would punch someone and threaten them fer just anyone? I hate violence. Ye think I would put up with my girl's other man fer just anyone?" He looks at the others. "This next part is not gonna be further explained and I refuse to answer any questions on this subject so don't ask." He looks back at Maizie. "I chose ye over spending the rest of whatever it was with...my parents...and our son. Do ye really think I'd choose just anyone over our son?" She stands up and looks into his eyes. "I'll answer yer questions afterwards. My point is yer more than worthy of any love anyone gives ye. Ye know my past...experiences with women. Not one of them even made me consider thinking about being with them. But yer the only one I wanted to actually be in a real relationship with." She stares at him for a long moment.

"See that's what scares me."

"What? My feelings? Me? Love? Marriage? What?"

"The way you make me feel. Every time I don't feel good enough or like I deserve you, you make me feel like I do. And that dependence scares me. What if I can't ever feel that with you telling me all the time?"

"Is it possible I have to keep telling ye cause ye don't believe it yerself? When we left the Villa ye felt confident enough in that. I know things are different on the outside but still. I know ye still know it deep down inside of ye. Ye just have to let yerself believe it. Yer stopping yerself from being fully in this, no one else. Some people have influenced it but it's still yer choice."

"How is it so easy for you to let me in and so hard for me to let you in?" He sighs and looks down.

"Cause I was afraid someone would make me change how I view myself if I let them in, like Alex did to ye. And I didn't want to chance that just as much as I didn't want to chance falling in love and then getting left. I didn't give anyone a chance to get close to my heart. I was too scared to even try. That's why yer so much stronger than me. Ye were willing to chance it all just fer love. And even after him ye still wanted love. I couldn't do that." He looks into her eyes trying to see what she's thinking, trying to figure out what she's feeling. She still has herself blocked off from him. He walks up to her and takes her hand, lifting it for her to look at. He shows her her rings. "When I gave ye this I vowed to love ye through the good and the bad, in sickness and in health. Those vows apply to every part of ye and every part of me. I will always love ye, even when ye don't love yerself. I will stand by ye when everything else is falling apart. I'll wait as long as I have to fer ye to let me in, at yer own pace. I don't care if we're married fer three years or thirty before ye trust me with yer heart. I'll be by yer side the whole time." She hugs him and sniffles. He holds onto her tight and sighs. Gary sniffles and wipes his eyes. He turns around.

"I've got something in my eye." Bobby and Maizie smile at him. Maizie looks at Bobby in his eyes. He can see the vulnerability in them.

"I don't want a divorce...and I don't regret marrying you. I'm sorry for being such a bitch." He chuckles.

"Ye weren't a bitch." Lottie shrugs.

"Well, I mean-" Bobby looks at her.

"Lottie....." She puts her hands up.

"At least I'm not crying." Noah sniffles and looks away, clearing his throat.

"Me too." Bobby raises his eyebrows and looks at Maizie.

"I think we broke them." She laughs.

"Na...they're just a couple of melts." He kisses her softly. "I love you."

"I love ye too, lass." She snuggles into him and sighs.

"Babe..."

"Yeah?"

"Can you tell me about what you said earlier?" He pauses and closes his eyes. James's face flashes in his mind, his eyes threatened with tears. He clears his throat.

"I'll tell ye and Olly both. He'd want to hear this part too." He takes her hand and walks to Oliver's room and knocks. He calls them in.

"Are ye done fighting now?" Bobby nods.

"I wanted to talk to ye both about something." Olly looks at him, confused.

"Okay..." Maizie sits down on the bed next to Olly and they both look at Bobby.

"When I was in the accident I remember seeing the headlights and hearing the crash and then things went black. I woke up in my bed here at home. I looked around and couldn't find either of ye and then I walked by the back window. I saw someone at there and thought it was Maizie but when I went out there it was Da. He was sitting in the chair and smiled at me. At first I thought I was crazy and maybe I am. But we talked a while about a few things. One thing was he mentioned me making a choice. When he said it I didn't think much of it. But I talked to him a lot about Alex and everything we've been through with him. During that part I mentioned how we lost a baby cause of him..."He swallowed the lump in his throat and closed his eyes. "I told him how much it still hurts to think we were so close to starting a family and Maizie finally becoming a mum like she's always wanted. He told me..." He pauses and clears his throat. "He told me that he knows how much it hurts but to know that our son was okay. When I asked about that he said the baby was a boy and that he was happy with them. He took me back to my room and inside was a crib with a baby boy inside it. He picked him up and handed him to me." He paused and took a deep breath and looked up trying to stop the tears about to fall. "He said his name was James and that he acted just like me. He looked like me except he had Maizie's eyes. He knew me. Then Da showed me the waiting room." He looked at Maizie. "I saw the conversation ye had with Noah about me. I walked over to ye, I'm not sure why but I did." He closed his eyes again, Maizie took her hands to her face as her eyes watered. "When James saw ye he smiled and reached fer ye and called fer ye." They started pouring down her cheeks, Oliver put on arm around her and hugged her. "Ye looked over at us like ye heard him. When ye turned back around we went back to the porch. I realized I had to choose between ye and James. I could spend the rest of ferever I guess with him and Maw and Da or come back here with ye. Obviously, I chose here." He looks at Oliver. "Before I left Da said he was so proud of ye and the man ye've become. He misses ye so much and wishes he could talk to ye. I didn't say anything at first cause I know I sound crazy, and there's a good chance I am. Maybe it some realistic dream or something. Dinnae ken. But when I left I woke up and saw ye both asleep against each other in the chairs." He finally looks at Maizie. She walks up to him and hugs him tightly, crying into his chest. 

"You saw him? He was a him? Was he beautiful? Did he have that baby smell?" He smiles, letting the tears fall.

"He was so beautiful. He did have that baby smell and his cuddles were almost as good as yers." She looked up at him.

"He knew us? He knew me?" He nodded.

"He only said one word and that was 'mumma' when he wanted ye." 

"He's happy?" He nods again.

"Da said he's very happy and that he's not mad I wasn't staying. He'd be waiting fer us as long as he needed to." She puts a hand on his cheek.

"It hurts you this much too? I didn't think it did, I thought you weren't ready."

"I wasn't but it still hurts. Just cause I wasn't ready to be a dad yet doesn't mean I didn't love him. But I gave him a kiss fer ye. And told him to visit ye soon cause ye miss him." She hugs him again and he looks at Olly. Olly has tears running down his cheeks. Bobby held an arm open for him. He hesitates before getting up and hugging them both. For a few minutes they all three just hug each other, crying. Eventually they pull apart. Oliver clears his throat.

"Ye are crazy but not cause of that." Maizie laughs, wiping her nose.

"I was thinking the same thing." Bobby smiles at them.

"Don't go ganging up on me now. Next time I won't say anything." Olly rolls his eyes.

"There won't be a next time or I'll kill ye if ye come back." Bobby chuckles.

"Then next time I won't." Maizie swats his arm.

"You better come back to me." 

"So come back and risk Olly killing me or staying there and risk ye hating me fer the rest of yer life? It's really a lose-lose situation, innit?" Maizie and Oliver laugh. Bobby puts his arms around their shoulders.

"Come on, let's go see what the others are up to." He leads them into the living room, feeling like a weight had been lifted. 


	18. Surprise Visit

The next day they're all packed onto a plane to London, even Oliver went with them. Maizie looks nervously out the window as she chews her thumbnail. Bobby takes her hand and squeezes it gently. She looks at him and sighs. He saw the fear and pain in her eyes. He gently rubs the spot where her dimples show.

"Hey, it'll be alright I promise. Shit will probably hit the fan but no matter what ye'll have me and all of our friends. And Bruno. I stand by ye and ye stand by me." She smiles gently and nods. He leans over and kisses her, loving the way she sighs and leans into their kiss every single time. She deepens it as she holds his shirt in one hand, pulling closer. The other hand on his cheek. One of his hands rested on her hip and the other on her back. She gently bites his lip. "Fek, don't tease me like that." He looks into her eyes and bites his lip, making her blush. 

"You don't want to join the mile high club?" His jaw drops.

"There's no way we could get away with it. Ye aren't exactly subtle." Her cheeks turn redder. He bites his lip and whispers in her ear. "Don't be embarrassed. I like it when yer loud." She pulls him in for another kiss, he gets lost in her lips. He doesn't know how long it's been when they pull apart. He looks into her eyes. She leans in and whispers in his ear.

"It's too bad you don't want to try anything. I'm not wearing a bra." He stares at her shocked and glances down at her breast, her nipples telling him exactly what she wants.

"Yer not playing fair anymore." She winks at him.

"I've got to go to the loo..." She leans in so only he can hear her. "I'll have to relieve some of this tension myself." His jaw drops again.

"If we weren't already married I'd marry ye again." She kisses him again, biting his lip and making him groan.

"Fek, Maizie. Ye know how to get a lad goin." She winks and gets up and walks away, he stares at her bum as she walks away. Her black short shorts hugging the curves of her hips, her white lace crop top tied in the back showing off her figure. She turns and winks at him before going in. He looks over at Oliver and sees him looking at him. Oliver shrugs.

"I mean if ye don't want to I think there's definitely someone else that wants to." Bobby frowns.

"Yer a dick, Olly." 

"Hey man, that's all she wants." Bobby smiles and rolls his eyes. "I wonder who else can help her out. Maybe I should see if Noah-"

"I swear, Olly, I hate ye." He stands up and walks to the bathroom. She's reapplying her lip gloss when he walks in. She smiles at him, making his heart thump harder. She reaches behind him and locks the door before kissing him. He holds her leg up and kisses her neck. She unbuttons his shirt and bites her lips as she looks at him, making him blush. "How do ye do that?"

"Do what?"

"Make me feel so...sexy?" She kisses him deeply.

"Cause you are. I'm just admiring it." He kisses her as he unbuttons her shorts and pulls them off her, revealing her red lacy thong. She unbuttons his shorts and pulls them down part of the way. He lifts her and puts her on the sink, running his hands across her breasts over her top. He kisses her neck, gently biting it as she strokes him. Her breathing speeds up. "Bobby, fuck me." Her pulls her to the edge pulls her panties to the side. He looks into her eyes as he thrusts into her. She moans and leans into him. He holds her close as he moves. The sounds of her moans and breathing turns him on. Her nails in his back, her lips against his skin, the scrape of her teeth on his shoulder. Her legs around his waist, the way she says his name, her curls in his hand. 

"Everything about ye drives me crazy, lass." He reaches between them and rubs her as he thrusts. She bites his shoulder hard, trying to drown out her moaning. She digs her nails into him hard as she comes. He grabs her hips and thrusts hard as he kisses her. "Fek, Maizie."

"I love it when you say my name." He smiles and bites his lip.

"It's not hard to make me say yer name when ye have those legs around my waist." She smiles and kisses him as she digs her nails into him, making him moan again. "Fek, Maizie." She bites him again, making him come with another hard thrust. For a minute he holds her close as they catch their breath. She looks into his eyes.

"Promise you won't leave my side the whole time we're in London?" He kisses her softly.

"I swear I'll be right by ye the entire time...except if ye need to use the loo." She smiles and hugs him. They get dressed and fix their clothes. 

"I'll go out first, wait five minutes and then you come out." He smiles at her.

"Thought this through then?"

"Maybe..." She winks at him and cracks the door open and looks around quickly before she walks out. After a five minutes passes by he opens the door and runs into Noah. He raises an eyebrow at him.

"I didn't know anyone else was in here...Maizie walked out a few minutes ago." Bobby blushes and clears his throat. he pats his shoulder.

"See ya, mate." And walks back to their seats. Maizie was more relaxed the rest of the flight. They kept switching seats with their friends to talk to everyone. Oliver and Hope seemed to really be getting along. Bobby saw Hope laugh at something Oliver said and put a hand on his arm. Bobby got Maizie's attention and nodded towards them. She looked at them and back at Bobby, raising her eyebrows. After they land and get all their luggage they split up to go unpack. Hope's new flat had two extra rooms so Bobby, Maizie and Olly stayed at her place. After they unpack they all sit down. The girls broke out the wine and the boys got beers. Bobby and Maizie sat on one couch, his arm around her as she cuddled into him. Bruno laid on the ground next to them. Hope and Oliver sat on the other couch, Hope laid down and put her feet in Oliver's lap.

"You don't have a foot fetish like your brother do you?" Oliver laughs and looks at Bobby.

"A foot fetish, really?" Bobby rolls his eyes.

"I do not have a fetish. Feet do not turn me on." Maizie raises an eyebrow and lays down on the other side, putting her feet in his lap. She slowly runs her perfectly manicured feet across him, making him blush. "Well....not usually." Everyone laughs, including him. She keeps rubbing her feet across his lap, he gently grabs her feet to make her stop. "I'm gonna need ye to stop that. I don't think Olly and Hope want to us fek again." She looks at him surprised.

"Again?"

"Hope's seen us do it countless times at the Villa and Olly saw it on TV....and when he walked by the laundry room.....and the back porch....and in the car." She blushes. "Yeah, according to Gary we never got away with doing it...not once." Oliver shrugs.

"Honestly, that doesn't surprise me. I've become so accustomed to ye both just doing it literally anywhere I don't even notice anymore. Even when I don't see it I definitely hear it." Bobby smiles.

"Hey, that's all her. She's the vocal one."

"I was much quieter on the plane...." Bobby blushes and shrugs.

"Ye got me there. So we might've gotten away with it once." Hope bites her lip.

"You two joined the mile high club? Spicy." Maizie looks at the time. 

"Well, babe. It's time to go. He should be home now." She stands up and looks at Hope and Olly. "You two coming?" Hope and Oliver look at each other. Hope clears her throat.

"I think we'll stay here. We'll let you two handle this one." Maizie shrugs.

"Okay. Come, Bruno." She gets his leash and vest on him and they head to her dads flat. They sit outside in the car a few minutes, Maizie twists her hands anxiously. Bruno whines and bumps her shoulder. She smiles and pets him. She sighs and looks at Bobby. he takes her hand and kisses it.

"I'll be right by ye the whole time. I won't step in or say anything unless ye want me to." She nods and gives him a faint smile. They walk up to the door and knock. A short man with messy brown hair and a big untamed beard answers the door. His cheeks and nose are rosey red and his eyes are glassy. He stares at Maizie wide-eyed a minute.

"Sugar Pop! What're ye doin here?" Bobby raises an eyebrow at her. He looks at Bobby and frowns. "Who the fek is this?" Maizie crosses her arms angrily.

"Don't call me Sugar Pop and this is my husband, Bobby."

"Husband??? Since when???"

"Today's what May 8th? A little over six months ago."

"I didn't even know ye were engaged."

"I wasn't engaged long. Can we come in?" He steps aside and let's them in. Bobby sits next to Maizie on the couch. He looks around at the living room. There were empty bottles and trash everywhere. It smelled strongly of alcohol and cigarettes. Dirty clothes and food wrappers covered the floor. 

"So why the surprise visit?"

"I know the truth but I want to hear it from you. Did you sell me to Alex?" Her dad looked away for a moment. 

"I didn't mean to I swear. I was selling him my blessing of yer relationship. My approval not ye. I didn't think he thought I was selling ye. And I tried to explain it to him and give him his money back but he wouldn't take it."

"What made you think I needed your approval??"

"Well I am yer father. A father's opinion on who his daughter dates matters."

"You're hardly capable of calling yourself a father! Their opinions only matter if their daughter thinks they're worthy of having a say. And I definitely don't think you're worthy."

"I've done everything I can to provide ye with everything."

"No you haven't! All you did was drink and abuse me and assault me! You never acted like a father! Not once have I felt pride in calling you my dad! My entire life you treated me like shit. You've punched me, hit me, molested me, pushed me down the stairs, pulled my hair out. You made mum work three jobs so she could keep up with your drinking habit and still pay the bills! You used Ainsley to keep me quiet! And now I find out you're why I can't give my husband the life he wants with me because I have to keep lookout for the bastard who still thinks he owns me because you sold me to him. All I want is to live my life in peace with Bobby. I found someone who has fallen in love with every broken piece of me and I can't give him the life he wants. The life we want. We want kids and with Alex always trying to hunt me down we can't have them. I can barely live knowing I'm putting him in danger I can't do it to our kids too. Which kills me because I want us to have that more than anything. But because of you I can't. You've ruined my entire life." Her dad starts crying.

"I'm so sorry, Maizie. I'm sorry I keep messing everything up fer ye. I really do want ye and Bobby to be able to live the life ye want and be happy. I'm sorry I'm the reason ye can't be happy." She sighs and sits back on the couch.

"I am happy....just disappointed. Being with Bobby makes me the happiest I've ever been. He's the most amazing person I've ever met and I'm so lucky he loves me. But I want kids, he wants kids and we can't do that with Alex still out. He won't let me move on with my life and I have to live every single day still being controlled by him. Do you know how hard that makes everything? Every time Bobby runs late, or Gary doesn't answer my calls I have a panic attack thinking he got to them. I still live in fear everyday just like I used to. Except it's not fear that he'll hurt me it's fear he'll hurt them. And as long as he refuses to let me go I can't be free." He sits there a moment before picking up the bottle of scotch next to his chair. "Are you going to say anything?"

"What else do ye want me to say? I've said I'm sorry a thousand times and I'd keep saying it if I thought it would somehow make ye fergive me. But I know it doesn't mean anything and it shouldn't. I'm a horrible man and deserve all the shit that happens to me." She looks at him confused.

"Who are you? I don't even know what to say right now. I don't know how to react. You've never admitted anything." He wipes fresh tears away.

"And I'm sorry fer that. I'm sorry fer all the abuse.... _all_ of it. And if ye decided ye want to see if there's still something ye can do to make me be held accountable I wouldn't blame ye. And same thing if ye decided to tell yer mum and Ainsley. Maizie, I realize now all the bad I've done and I'm ashamed to even be myself. I fek up everything I do. That's all I'm good fer." She looks at Bobby, he shrugs. 

"I don't know what's going on but this isn't helping. I had hoped there would be more to this but now I'm sitting here watching you wallow in self-pity and it's just not doing anything. We're gonna go. Don't count on me to call you and thanks for nothing except ruining my life." She gets up and walks out the door. Bobby looks around for a minute, not knowing what else to do. He stands up and looks at her dad.

"Well....goodbye.....I guess." Her dad looks at him, tears still streaming down his face.

"Please take care of her. She seems to really love ye and she deserves to be happy more than anything." Bobby sighs.

"Sir, I've loved her since the moment I met her and I've always done everything I possibly could to deserve her. She's the light of my life and I'll do anything I can to make her happy fer the rest of her life. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me. I'll protect her with everything I have." He nods.

"I'm glad she found ye then. I'd say it was nice to meet ye but I have a feeling this will be the last time we see each other. I really do love her but I know I don't have the right to. I hope one day she can be able to let me go and be free from the pain I caused." Bobby looks at him a minute.

"Well, goodbye then." He nods and takes a big swig from the bottle scotch. He walked out to the car and drove them back to Hope's. She was quiet the whole ride and the rest of the night, even when they met up with the others to go for a few drinks. They had just gotten back to Hope's when Lottie called Maizie. She walks into the room to talk to her. Bobby looks back at Hope and Oliver nervously. "I have a bad feeling. She's been off tonight." Hope looks at him sympathetically.

"What happened at her dad's?" He thinks a minute.

"She didn't leave there feeling any better. They didn't fight but I don't think she got what she was looking fer from him. He admitted the money thing but other than that she didn't get any answers." A few minutes later she comes out. "Ye doing alright, lass? How's Lottie?" She smiles.

"Everything is fine, babe. I promise. But I was just about to get ready for bed. You coming?" He looks at her a minute. _**She's lying again. Something is wrong. Something bad is gonna happen....**_ He forces a smile.

"Of course, let's go." He gets ready for bed and cuddles up to her. She turns over and looks into his eyes. He saw a sea of emotions in hers. "What's wrong?" She looks at him a minute.

"I'm not ready to talk about it yet." He gives her a small smile.

"Okay. That's fine. I'm here whenever ye are, okay?" She nods and kisses him softly. Slowly she deepens it, wrapping her leg around his waist. He smiles against their kiss and pulls her closer. She climbs on top of him and grinds against him slowly. She takes her time touching him, letting her mouth explore his body. She takes him in her mouth and does everything he likes with her tongue. He couldn't stop himself from coming. She moves her kisses back up his body, kissing his neck. He turns them over so she's on her back and fingers her. He starts off slowly.

"Bobby, make me come." He bites his lip and looks into her eyes, doing what she wants. She orgasms hard, holding his hand against her until she finishes. When she catches her breath she sits up and kisses him. She straddles him and slowly sits down on him, moaning against their kiss. She moves slowly, clinging to him. Running her hands across his chest and back. Nibbling on his ear, biting his neck and shoulders. He could feel the change in her emotions. It felt amazing as always, but pure vulnerability shined in her eyes, like the first time they were together. She completely let every wall down, showing him everything she felt. For the first time every single part of her was there for him to see. She kissed him like she'd never get enough. She clung to him like she was afraid he'd leave her. _**Is that what's wrong? Does she think I'm gonna leave her now that I know what her dad did? Or that I'm gonna leave her now that she's let me in? Is she scared I won't love her anymore?**_ He laid her down and worshiped every part of her, trying to heal her and make her feel better. "Fuck me harder." He looks into her eyes and bites his lip, moving faster and harder. He pins her thigh back, going deeper. Her moans got louder the closer she got. She marked his neck and bit him hard, digging her nails into his back. They climaxed together while they looked into each others eyes. A single tear fell from her eye. He wiped it away softly and kissed her.

"I love ye, Maizie. More than anything." She swallowed hard and cleared her throat.

"I love you too, Bobby. I can't explain how much I love you. You know that, right?"

"Aye. Of course I know ye love me. I've never had anyone love me like ye do." She smiles another tear escaping.

"Good. Don't ever doubt that. I'll love you every single day for the rest of my life." He smiled and kissed her again. They lay next to each other and hold onto each other for dear life. Her emotions were so strong he felt vulnerable too. He held her so close, trying to make her feel better. He couldn't shake the feeling something else was going on. Eventually they fall asleep, tangled in each others arms. He woke up cold in the middle of the night. He looked around and didn't see Maizie.

"Lass?" He saw her phone on the nightstand still. _**Her phone is here so she has to be here.**_ He put on his pants and walked around the flat for her. "Bruno?" The dog didn't come to him or bark. He couldn't find her anywhere and ran back into the room. He turned on the light and saw a note on the bed. _**No. Please don't.**_ He walks over and reads it. 

_Bobby, I'm sorry I couldn't be here when you woke up. But I couldn't say this to your face. If I did you wouldn't have let me go. But I have to leave for everyone's sake...especially yours. I love you more than sun shines and the moon glows. You're my light and my life...but you aren't safe with me anymore. No one is. I can't risk anyone else getting hurt because of me. I'm so sorry for hurting you, I really am. I love you more than anything and anyone...even myself. Please forgive me....I have one last request. Do not sit at home and wait around for me. Oliver needs you and you need him. He can't live with another lifeless Bobby. So please keep moving on with life for him. Hang on for him. Don't wait for me...you'll find someone better I swear. Someone who will be whole and can love you the way you deserve. Don't give up on love, please. If there's anything I learned from our love is that it is the source of all life. It can heal wounds in a way nothing else can. So please be open to love again...for me. I love you. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. With all my heart, Maizie._ He reread it a dozen times trying to grasp what was happening. _**She left me....and it sounds like it's for good. She left without saying goodbye to me....**_ He didn't try to stop the tears. He cried for hours, his heart split into a thousand pieces. A few hours after the sun came up Oliver came to check on him. He saw Bobby sitting on the bed with the note in his hand, no doubt looking horrible. Oliver looked around and saw her bag gone and the note in his hand.

"Bobby....no...." Bobby starts crying again and holds the note up to him. He reads it, confusion taking over his expressions. He looked at Bobby when he was done. "I...Bobby...do ye think-"

"She's coming back? I hope she does but it doesn't sound like she will. She told me to move on and find love again." He doesn't try to hide the tears. Oliver sits next to him on the bed for what feels like hours. Eventually Hope comes in. When she figures out what's going on she calls Gary and put him on speaker.

"Gary! Have you talked to Maizie!?"

"Maizie?? Not since last night, why? Isn't she there with you?"

"No....she left. Alone. In the middle of the night."

"What????? Have you tried calling her???"

"Her phone is here but her stuff and Bruno are gone. She said she couldn't risk anyone else getting hurt because of her. Do you know what she's talking about?"

"She didn't tell you why we called last night?"

"No, why?" Gary is quiet a moment.

"He found us. He tried to fight me but I fought him off and he ran away before we could call the police. We told Maizie her and Bobby needed to go home last night." Bobby looked at the phone. For the first time since they called he spoke.

"He found ye? And tried to attack ye?"

"Yeah, but he didn't win."

"When did ye tell her this?"

"Last night when Lottie called. I assumed she told you what happened."

"She didn't say anything. She said everything was fine and then said she wanted to go to bed."

"And that's it? She didn't say anything else?" He thinks a moment, trying to remember every last detail of last night. It dawns on him why she let him in and why she clung to him. _**She was saying goodbye.....**_ He shakes his head as more tears start pouring.

"I knew something was wrong! She finally let all her walls down and fer the first time our entire relationship she let me completely in. She didn't say anything but I felt it. And after she told me how much she loved me and then we fell asleep cuddling. I woke up in the middle of the night and she was gone. I feking knew something bad was gonna happen. Why didn't I catch this? God I'm a feking idiot! What the fek!" Oliver got up and stood in front of him, trying to get his attention.

"Bobby! Bobby, stop! Listen to me!" He pushed him off him.

"Get off me! Fek this shit! I feking knew I should've walked right back out of the Villa. I knew I shouldn't have let myself fall fer her. Fek this shit! I'm going home, fek this. Fek all of this." He grabbed his clothes and got dressed. Oliver and Hope kept trying to talk to him but he kept telling them to leave him alone. He grabbed his stuff and went out to the taxi and didn't look back. For weeks he ignored everyone. He didn't get black out drunk every night this time. He went to work and came home, but never said a word to anyone. On June 1st he took the day off and drove to Lunderston Bay, the closest beach to Glasgow. He sat there for what seemed like forever, watching the waves crashing around. He turned off his phone so no one could bother him. He couldn't go to the spot in the forest or his parents grave anymore. Everywhere he went in Glasgow all he saw was her. The sand reminded him of the Villa for some reason. Maybe it was the beach trips they took when they did the baby challenge. He closed his eyes and remembered her face when she saw the babies. She adored it and loved on it all day long. He remembered coming back and seeing her asleep with the baby on her chest. He dreamed so many times of what it would be like when they finally had kids of their own. He remembered the first time they coupled up and how gorgeous she looked. He remembered when she came back alone from Casa Amor. Her face the first time he told her he loved her. Her face when he asked her to be his girlfriend. Their last date in the Villa. But the scene that played back the most was the first day when he saw her for the first time. Her green bikini that made her eyes pop, her long brown curls, her full pink lips, her thick thighs he loved so much, her snort when she laughed at his lame joke, her tattoo on her right thigh, the sparkle of her lip ring in the sun, the way her cheeks flushed when she got embarrassed or looked at him. His heart ached more with every memory. _**I miss her so much...why did she have to go? Why did she leave me? Didn't she trust me? Gary fought him off....no one has even heard from him since. They've seen him but he hasn't tried anything else.....why did I let myself fall in love? Love is nothing but pain.**_ When the sun started to set he went home. When he walked in he saw everyone else from the Villa there. He went to his room and shut the door. Noah came in and tried to talk to him, but he didn't say anything. Same thing when Lottie and Gary tried too. Finally, Priya walked in. She sat on his bed with a bottle of whiskey. 

"I'm not here to talk, I'm here to drink. So cheers...to broken hearts." He looked at her confused.

"Why would anyone cheers to a broken heart?"

"Because a broken heart means you got to experience love and that's the greatest adventure in life. Even when it's over you still get to live knowing you had true love...true love is as rare as a unicorn these days." He sighs and takes the bottle. They just drink in silence. "To be fair, she's a fool. If I had you I'd never let you go. You're a one in a million kind of guy. You've got the looks, the banter, the personality, you can cook and bake, you know how to have fun. I felt lucky I got to couple up with you, even if you didn't like me or find me attractive." He chuckles.

"Priya, I thought ye were sexy as hell. That wasn't it."

"It was just her then? If she wasn't there do you think you could've given us a shot?" He shrugs.

"Maybe. I probably would've feked it up like I fek up everything else...but maybe. I was surprised a woman like ye would even look at me twice."

"Why is it so hard for you to see yourself as you really are? You are one-hundred percent the guy every girl wishes to meet." He looks out the window.

"Well there must be something wrong with me. No one stays." She sighs and looks at him.

"It had nothing to do with you and you know that. It wasn't you. You probably made it really hard for her. I have no doubt she did this because she felt like it was necessary." 

"Whatever, it doesn't matter. She left and that's all that means anything. Nothing else matters. I wasn't enough to make her stay." She scoots closer to him and makes him look at her.

"You are more than enough for anyone. It. Wasn't. You. Stop doing this to yourself, Bobby. You were enough but she needed to feel like she was protecting you because you meant more to her than anyone else on earth. If he had hurt you she never would have forgiven herself and you know that. It wasn't you, it was him." He sighs, a tear slipping down his cheek. "Please come see everyone else. I mean they all did fly out here to be with you." He sighs and stands up. He follows Priya out there. Hope raises her eyebrows.

"So he appears....with Priya. I don't even know what you did to get him out here." Priya looks at Hope annoyed.

"I told him to stop blaming himself and come see everyone since you went through the trouble of coming here." Hope looks at Bobby suspiciously. He frowns.

"Ye really think I'd sleep with Priya just to make myself feel better? Do ye even know me? As long as I love her I can't be with anyone else." Lottie scoffs and mutters under her breath.

"That makes one of you then." Gary glares at her.

"Lottie, stop it. We don't even know it was her." Bobby looks at them.

"What? What do ye know? Or not know or whatever." Gary shakes his head at Lottie. "Lottie, please tell me. Please." Lottie sighs and stands up with her phone in her hands. On her instagram it shows Rocco in a selfie on the beach. In the corner of the camera there was someone's feet. On the right thigh was a constellation tattoo....his heart shattered all over again. "She's with Rocco....where? Are they...together? Is that why she left?" He took her phone and looked through his other posts. One picture it had someone else's hand holding a skillet on the stove with a tattoo on the wrist in Irish. Another photo there was a reflection of the back of someone's head with brown curly hair. He gave the phone back and went to his room again. He locked the door and laid in bed staring at the ceiling. The next month was a big blur to him. He hardly remembered a thing that happened until he started spending time with Oliver again. But only him. He refused to talk to anyone else. But it helped being around Oliver. "I'm sorry for being so absent this past year." Oliver looks at him confused.

"What?"

"I was so wrapped up in her I didn't spend enough time with ye....but it's nice to have just us again." He sighs and looks down.

"Bobby, ye didn't neglect me. Ye spent a lot of time with me...not these past couple months but before that. It wasn't just us anymore but I was okay with that. I had gained more family. I wasn't mad it wasn't just us, I was happy ye were happy. But ye've paid plenty of attention to me. We ate breakfast and dinner together everyday and on yer days off we'd go to the pub or park or go shopping with her." He sighs and rubs his face, his unshaven face poking his hand. Oliver chuckles. "Ye need to shave, mate. Yer gonna get an actual beard in any day now. It's still at the pokey stage so ye can stop it in time." Bobby smiles and rolls his eyes. That night then went to one of the local pubs. He was sitting with Oliver at the bar when a couple girls came up to him. They started grafting on him immediately.

"Hi, I'm Natalie. This is my friend Sandra. We noticed ye lads over here alone and thought ye could use some company." Bobby and Olly look at each other. Bobby smiles and turns to them.

"Really now? I can't complain bout the company then." Natalie bites her lip, making him think of Maizie. He clears his throat and pushes her from his mind. "So are ye here alone or is there a boyfriend that'll be calling me in a few weeks?" She blushes.

"I'm single, yer safe about the boyfriend part. Are ye?" He shrugs.

"Aye." She looks at his wedding ring he still has on. He clears his throat and covers it up. "She left a few months back so...just haven't gotten the divorce finalized yet. Ye can ask my brother." She looks at Oliver who's staring at him intently. He sighs and looks at her.

"He hasn't spoken to her since the night she left. He's as single as he's gonna be fer now." She looks at Bobby.

"So what would ye want out of this then?"

"Honestly, if ye wanted to, just sex. Nothing past that."

"So a one night stand?" He shrugs. "Good, I don't want caught up in anything." He smiles.

"Trust me, there isn't anything to get caught up in." Someone clears their throat behind him. He turns and sees Sarah, from the Villa when the girls were at Casa Amor. For the first time in a long time he felt happy. "Sarah? What're ye doin here?" She smiled at him.

"Saving you from dipping your dick in the public pool." She smiles at Natalie. Bobby raises his eyebrows and looks between them. Natalie crosses her arms.

"Excuse me? Are ye calling me a whore?"

"Me? Oh of course not....just that I saw you disappear with the blond idiot dancing on the table over there an hour ago." She blushes and looks away. Bobby clears his throat.

"I'm down fer meaningless sex...but not an hour after ye slept with someone else. Hit me up in a week." Natalie scoffs and walks away. Sarah hits his arm. "Ow! What was that fer?"

"You're an idiot! You're married! Why are you here hitting on sleazy women instead of home with your wife? What would Maizie say right now? You should be ashamed of yourself." He crosses his arms and frowns at her.

"Who gives a damn what she would say right now?! She left me in the middle of the night, leaving nothing behind but a note! She said move on so I am." He turns and walks out the pub. Sarah chases after him.

"Bobby!" He turns and looks at her.

"What?"

"I'm sorry! I didn't know..."

"Cause I'm not announcing to the world the love of my life left me." She sighs and looks into his eyes.

"Bobby....I'm sorry. I really am." He sighs.

"I'm sorry fer yelling at ye." She smiles at him.

"I know it wasn't personal." For a minute they just stand there awkwardly. "Well, it's good to see you. I missed you." He smiles.

"It's good to see ye too, Sarah." He hugs her. "How's things been fer ye?" She shurgs.

"Alright. Same old, same old. You still working at the hospital?"

"Aye. I'm off this weekend though."

"Well maybe we can get together for lunch and catch up. As friends. I'm not down to be your rebound." He smiles and rolls his eyes.

"Calm down, I wasn't gonna try and sleep with ye. But that sounds good." She holds out her hand. "What?"

"How am I supposed to call you if we don't have each others numbers?" He gives her his phone and takes hers. They exchange numbers and hand their phones back. "Well, I better go. My mate won't be happy I left her all alone in there."

"Right. I need to go home anyway. I'll, uh, talk to ye later?" She smiles.

"Yeah. I'll text you." He hugs her again, she lingers by his face for a second when they pull apart. He gets mixed emotions being so close to her. She steps back and clears her throat. "See you later, dummy." He smiles and watches her leave. The next day he's sleeping in bed when his phone dings. He looks at it and sees a text from Sarah.

_"Morning stupid."_

_"Morning to you too, punk."_

_"Still sleeping?"_

_"I was."_

_"I can let you go. I didn't mean to wake you."_

_"No, it's okay. I needed to get up anyway."_

_"Good. :) I'm glad I texted you then."_

_"Me too. It's nice to talk to someone besides Olly."_

_"So I'm the only other person you talk to?"_

_"Now, yeah."_

_"Why me?" **Honestly, dinnae ken.**_

_"When I have an answer I'll tell you."_

_"Well, I'm honored either way."_

_"So have you been to Glasgow before?"_

_"Nope. First time. I honestly wasn't expecting to run into you but I'm glad I did."_

_"Me too. It was really good to see you. You look great."_

_"Thank you. You do too. You're really working the beard thing, I like it."_ He felt himself blush.

_"Thanks. Decided to try something new I guess."_

_"All about new experiences now?"_

_"Maybe I am."_

_"Well, let's start todays new experience by deciding where to go for lunch. What's the best place in town?"_ He spends the rest of the morning talking to Sarah. Olly looks over at him and frowns.

"Who're ye talking to that's making ye smile so much?"

"Sarah. The lass that yelled at me last night." 

"I'm starting to see what yer type is." He looked at him confused.

"My type? I don't have a type."

"Well she isn't exactly yer type but maybe she will be." He looks at him a minute. 

"No. Not going there again. We're friends." Oliver shrugs and looks back to his own phone. A little while later he's getting dressed. He looks at his phone and sees Gary calling. He sighs and answers.

"Yeah?"

"What do you mean yeah? I haven't talked to you since June and you're gonna answer the phone with yeah? What's the matter with you?" He sighs.

"I'm sorry, let me start over." He clears his throat. "Gaz! How's it goin Gorilla Man?" Gary laughs.

"You're starting to sound like Bobby again.....I wonder why."

"Dinnae ken. Anyway, what's up?"

"Oh, I almost forgot why I called. Um, somethings happened...." His heart stopped.

"Don't tell me it's her."

"No. But it's her dad....and Alex."

"What??"

"Her dad is in the hospital and Alex is...dead."

"What the fek happened?? Did ye call Ainsley?"

"I don't know what happened but Ainsley wouldn't answer. Can you see if you can get a hold of her?"

"Aye. I'm about to meet someone fer lunch I'll stop on my way there."

"Who are you meeting for lunch?"

"Sarah. From the Villa. I ran into her last night at the pub." The line is quiet. "Gary?"

"Is it a lunch date?"

"What? No! I don't date." Gary sighs.

"Right, my bad. I forgot, mate." 

"Are ye alright? Ye sound upset."

"No I'm fine. Just let me know if you get a hold of Ainsley."

"Alright. Talk to ye soon."

"Later, mate."

"Later." He hangs up and quickly finishes getting dressed. He stop by Ainsley's and knocks on the door. She answers it and stares at him a minute.

"Bobby...what are you doing here? I...I haven't.....um....talked to her." He looks at her confused.

"Yer assuming I'm here to try and talk about her? Yeah no. Fek that. I'm here bout yer dad." 

"My dad?? What about him??"

"He's in the hospital. I don't know what happened but Gary said he couldn't get a hold of ye so he asked me to tell ye." He turns to walk away. 

"Wait!" He turns back around. "Is that all you came for?"

"Aye." She stares at him a minute. He sighs and looks down. "Look, Ainsley. I can't keep sitting around crying about her. I want to but I can't. Olly needs me. I still think about her all the time and miss her like crazy...but I can't sit around and keep buggin ye fer information about her. If she's happy that's all that matters. I always told her her happiness comes first so if she's happy then that's all I need to know." He starts to walk away. "Oh. And when ye do talk to her...tell her Alex died. I don't know anything about that either." He walks away without another word. He calls Gary and told him he talked to Ainsley. After he hangs up his mind wanders to Maizie again. He waits for Sarah inside the restaurant. She walks in wearing black skinny jeans and a blue tank top with ruffled sleeves. Her hair is in a messy bun and she's wearing diamond earrings. He smiles. "Looks like I'm underdressed."

"Please, you look great." He stands up and hugs her. They sit down and start chatting about life. "Do you talk to anyone from the Villa? I know you said this morning you don't talk to anyone but still."

"I talked to Gary just a bit ago actually. I talked to them a lot until...she left. Then I kind of went off the radar." 

"Why? Aren't they your best friends?"

"Aye. But they all wanted to talk about her...I don't like talking about her."

"Can I ask why?"

"Cause it hurts. She promised she wouldn't hurt me and she did. She said it was to protect me but no matter what she didn't trust me."

"How so?"

"She didn't trust I could handle it. She didn't trust that I'd be okay. She didn't trust me to take care of myself."

"What happened to bring all of this up?" He hesitates.

"She was having trouble with someone. They were dangerous."

"Were?"

"Yeah...they passed away."

"When?"

"Dinnae ken. Gary told me this morning."

"Do you think she'll find you then?"

"No. She told me to move on and didn't give any sign she'd be coming back home." She takes his hand, making him blush.

"I'm sorry."

"Thanks, uh, it's alright. I'll be okay. I was fine before I met her I'll be alright again." 

"This is off topic but it is so hard to get used to you with facial hair." He laughs.

"I thought ye liked it."

"I do like. It's all rugged and sexy." He blushes again.

"Sexy, huh? Maybe I'll keep it then." She blushes.

"You wouldn't keep it just for me would you?" He shrugs.

"I might. I trust yer judgement. Ye've never steered me wrong before...well except once." She looked at him confused.

"When?"

"When ye convinced me to stick with her. Shoulda brought ye back instead."

"Please you never considered bringing me back."

"I did too! I thought I felt something with ye. And yer really funny and gorgeous. And smart. And ye have an attitude that's really sexy." She blushes again.

"Maybe I should've actually grafted on you then." He bites his lip.

"I mean things are different now...."

"Yeah, they are. You have facial hair." He laughs.

"Wow, way to put me down easy." 

"Look, I'd love to spend time with you. But I don't want to be a one night stand and I don't want to be a rebound." He looks down.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think about it like that. I didn't mean to make ye feel like that."

"It's okay...........I really did like you, you know. A lot. I might've cried a little bit when I left." He chuckled.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about rather I made the right choice or not." 

"You're just saying that."

"No, I'm serious. If I hadn't met her I probably would've chosen ye. I liked ye a lot."

"You just had unfinished business to tend to."

"Aye...."

"Would you change your mind if you could go back?" He thinks a moment.

"That's a fifty-fifty kind of thing. Yes, cause if I knew we would end up like this I wouldn't have stuck to get it over with sooner. And no cause even though this year was hard...I got to marry my best friend."

"She was your best friend?"

"Aye. She knew more about me than anyone, even Olly. She knew what I was thinking before I thought it. She never made fun of me and always did everything she could to make me feel loved. We always had a lot of laughs together and being with her was like a fairytale. She once told me I was like some fairytale prince. It sounds stupid saying it any other time except when she said it. She could do things like that. She called me beautiful too. It sounded weird when anyone else said but when she said it sounded alright." He looks at Sam. "Sorry....I didn't mean to go on about her."

"It's okay. You can always talk to me about her. She was a huge part of your life. And still is. And looks like always will be." He looked at her confused.

"What do ye mean always will be?" She blushes.

"Nothing just that she's probably gonna be a part of you forever."

"I hope not." 

"You don't mean that."

"Right now I kind of do."

"No, you're just hurting. Which is understandable but you don't want her to be out of your life." He sighs and looks out the window.

"Enough sad chat. Do ye still talk to Emily?" They spent the rest of the afternoon laughing and joking about everything under the sun. For the first time in months he was genuinely happy and the hole in his chest felt smaller.


	19. Is It Love?

Bobby spent the rest of the day with Sarah. They were walking around the park when Gary FaceTimed.

"Answer it! I wanna talk to him!" He smiles.

"Okay, lass. Relax." He answers it and sees Gary smiling back at him.

"You answered! You look a lot better than you did in June. What are you up to?" Sarah gets in front of the camera, leaning into Bobby's chest. Bobby blushes and smiles at Gary. Sarah waves.

"Gary!" 

"I found a troll on the side of the road. She keeps following me." Sarah gasps and looks up at him and swats his arm.

"You told me I looked good earlier! Now I'm a troll? I hate you." He laughs and looks at Gary.

"What's going, mate?" Gary looks at him suspiciously. 

"I was just going to ask the same thing..." Bobby blushes again.

"Nothing. We've just been hanging out today. She goes home tomorrow and I didn't have plans so I've been showing her around town."

"Right....we'll get to that later. Anyway, Maizie's dad wants to see you."

"What? Why me? We've only met and talked once and that was the day she left."

"Bobby, he's dying. He wants to see you. I don't know why."

"So? Do ye even know what he did to her? He's a monster. He hurt her in ways a father should never hurt his children. I don't want to see him." Sarah looks at him worriedly. 

"What did he do?"

"Don't worry about it, lass." Gary raises his eyebrows. 

"Lass? I thought Maizie was lass...." Bobby sighs. 

"She was. And then she left me and broke my heart. I'm done being hurt and crying everyday. I'm done loving someone who just keeps hurting me."

"Mate, what has gotten into you? Last time you two were separated you waited for her. And now you're grafting on some other bird and just saying fuck Maizie? I thought you loved her."

"I do love her! More than anything else on this earth. I loved her with every single piece of me and woke up every single day with a goal of making her happy. I did everything I possibly could to show her how much I loved her and needed her and it did nothing. She left me. And we aren't separated. Last time we both knew we would be together again. We only put a pause on us. But this time we didn't get to have that talk about the future. She left in the middle of the night leaving me a note telling me to move on with my life. At no point did she imply she would come back to me. If she did it would be different but she didn't. What, am I supposed to sit around and hope she comes home so I can waste the next few years being miserable? What kind of life is that?"

"You know how much she loves you though. I know she'll come back to you, she has to."

"What makes ye think she will? Have ye talked to her? Cause last I checked she only talked to Ainsley and was running around with Rocco doing god knows what."

"I just know, Bobby. And you should too."

"I thought I did! Are ye really ignoring the fact she up and disappeared???"

"Cause of Alex! She was trying to protect you!"

"I don't need protection! I'm not a child! If she wanted to protect me she should've been honest with me! Not hide things and just leave!"

"You think it was easy for her to leave you? You know Maizie better than anyone, even me. You really think it was easy for her to leave you and then just start sleeping with Rocco? Rocco of all people! If she moved onto to anyone it would be Carl! He was her Sarah. But she didn't go to Carl because she didn't want him, she wants you."

"Ye don't know that."

"I do know that and so do you. We all know it. I know she broke your heart. I know you're hurting right now. But she is too. She's how you were last time. Except the drinking. She told you to move on because she wants you to be happy...but she doesn't want you to move on. She's hoping you'll wait for her but she won't ask you to." Bobby shakes his head.

"No, Gary. Stop it. I'm done listening to ye and everyone else. Every time I listen I get hurt and I'm done being hurt. I'm done loving someone who can't love me. I'm done fighting fer someone who won't fight fer me. I meant my vows...but I can't keep them if she's not here. She never meant hers. She broke hers. I didn't. Why should I be loyal to someone who isn't here?" Sarah shakes her head at him.

"Because you've already done this before. From what I hear several times. You did it when they went to Casa Amor, the first time you broke up and when you separated. She gave you a pass to do whatever you wanted with whoever you wanted. But you didn't take it. You stayed loyal because your heart belongs to her. I know it hurts and I'm not gonna tell you it won't hurt one day because it will. Your first love will always be one of two things. The one that got away or the one you spend your life with. Sleeping around won't fix your heart. Getting black out drunk every night won't fix your heart. Talking shit about her won't fix your heart. He's right this isn't you. The beard is the only good thing about you right now. You're no longer Bobby and that's sad. Let yourself hurt. Stopping the pain won't make it disappear." Gary nods.

"Exactly. It took how many years for you to let yourself feel the pain from losing your dad? You finally came to terms with it and let yourself start healing from it. Don't be stupid and do the same thing with her. Don't stay loyal for her, stay loyal for you. It's not fair to you or any other bird to be a thing you use to get over her. You don't use women. That's not who you are. So don't use anyone to become numb. That's why you slept around in the first place. That's why this time hurts so much more. Because you let yourself feel things and that's not a bad thing. That doesn't make you stupid. It makes you brave. But what you're trying to do right now makes you stupid. Now I want to see you in the same hospital Maizie was at in no more than four hours. If I don't I'm coming to Scotland and kicking your ass." Gary hangs up. For a minute he looks at his phone. He sighs and throws his phone.

"Fek!" Sarah sighs and picks up his phone and takes his hand, leading him to a nearby bench.

"Bobby, if Maizie was standing in front of you which one of us would you choose? Me or her?" He thinks for a moment.

"Ye. I'm not going to London and I'm not going to keep hanging on to a what if. This entire year has been hell. I'm done with it, I can't do this anymore. I don't have it in me to fight for something that isn't working."

"So she's not worth it?" His heart stings at the memory of the first time she asked that. He speaks softly this time.

"Not anymore. She used to be but I can't do this hot and cold thing with her. This back and forth. This together and broken up thing." She sighs and looks into his eyes.

"But you're not over her. How can you move on if you aren't over her?"

"Cause I'm not gonna hang on to her anymore. Being with her was good when she wanted me but when she didn't it hurt. I'm tired of hurting. She's not worth it anymore." He kisses Sarah's cheek and walks away. "Call me later." Olly is in the living room on the phone when he comes in. Olly waves at him and goes back to his conversation. After his shower he watches the telly with Olly. Sarah calls him. Seeing her name on his phone made his heart pound. He smiles and answer. "Ye actually called me."

"Well yeah...I thought you wanted me to."

"Of course I wanted ye to. I like talking to ye. What are you up to?"

"Packing so I can go home tomorrow." Disappointment hits his chest.

"I fergot about that. Ye should move here so I can see ye more." She laughs.

"I'm not moving to Scotland for you."

"Why not? Am I not worth it? I'll bake fer ye all the time."

"No, Bobby. We aren't even dating. And even if we were it would be too soon." 

"Hey, life is short. Ye gotta take risks sometimes."

"Not that kind of risk. Cliff diving sure but not that." He laughs.

"Cliff diving? That sounds dangerous. I'm not doing that."

"Aw, come on. It's so much fun!"

"I'll do it next time yer in town."

"Then I'll have to come back soon. I'm gonna get you to do it. Just wait." He bites his lip.

"I doubt it. I hate heights."

"Oh really?"

"Aye. But don't tell anyone. It'll ruin my reputation."

"What reputation?"

"Hey, I used to be Glasgow's most sought after bachelor."

"That's pathetic." His jaw drops.

"That is not pathetic! That means I'm a good lay."

"I'm sure you are but sleeping around is pathetic."

"It's just sex. No one said sex has to be all meaningful and emotional and shit. That makes it complicated."

"Well I disagree. I think you shouldn't have sex unless you see potential with someone."

"Do ye see potential with me?"

"Not right now. Maybe in the future if you ever actually get over her."

"So I still have a chance then?"

"Maybe....can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Did you mean what you said at the park? About choosing me over her?" He clears his throat.

"Aye. I meant it. With her things are too complicated. I can't keep doing this up and down shit. But with ye it's a fresh start. We'd get to discover all this shit about each other without the pressure of everyone around us."

"You would really choose me over Maizie? Me over the girl you love?"

"Loving her doesn't mean I'm gonna keep bending over backwards to keep her around. Relationships should be give and take not just give. That's what we were. I loved her way more than she loved me." He looks up and sees Oliver looking at him. His eyes were watering. "What's wrong, Olly?" Oliver shakes his head and goes to his room without another word. Bobby sighs and leans back on the couch. "Why is everyone acting like this?"

"Acting like what?"

"Acting like I'm cheating on her or that I'm pathetic fer moving on. She literally said to move on. But it's like no one else sees what being with her was doing to me. No one else sees all the shit she put me through. They only see her. How is that fair?"

"I see you. I see what it's done to you." He smiles and bites his lip.

"Yer the first one in a long time to see me then. When I was with her it was just about me and her. It was like I didn't exist except when I was with her."

"Do you think that's why you hung onto this for so long? You liked being seen?"

"Aye. I think so. I mean it was nice to be noticed. But it got to be too much. I want to go back to the way things were before her." 

"Maybe I can help with that." He blushes.

"Ye can't if ye don't let me try it on with ye. Ye made sure to keep yer distance today."

"Because I don't want to be a rebound. But it was hard not to snog you."

"Really? Ye must have serious self control then. I did think about what it would feel like to snog ye properly. It was good before but maybe it would be better now that it would be fer us not her." She sighs.

"What am I going to do with you, pastry chef?"

"Fall in love with me." She laughs. 

"I will admit that was pretty smooth." He chuckles.

"That's me, Captain B Smooth."

"Ugh, that's cringy."

"That hurts." She laughs again. "So am I gonna get to see ye before ye leave?" She sighs. 

"I leave really early."

"If I'd known that I wouldn't have left then." 

"Wow, you're really laying it on."

"I'd like to lay something on ye."

"Robert McKenzie. Keep your pants on." He laughs.

"I like it when ye say my whole name. It sounds sexy." He hears a knock on the door and gets up.

"You are grafting pretty hard. Is this what you're like when you're single?" He looks down as he walks towards the door.

"Aye. But it's different with ye. Usually it's just fer sex but with ye it feels different. I want ye to like me." He opens the door and stares a minute, smiling. Sarah smiled back at him.

"What if I said I do already?" He bites his lip and hangs up his phone. He pulls her to him and kisses her deeply. She sighs and leans into the kiss. His heart swirled with mixed emotions. He pushed Maizie out of his mind and holds Sarah close. She pulls away breathlessly. 

"We aren't having sex." He chuckles.

"I'm okay with that. Just keep snogging me." She laughs and wraps her arms around his neck and his kisses him. He shuts the door, a little too hard, and leads her to the couch without breaking their kiss. They both sit down and just kiss. _**She's really good at this. Man I was stupid not to try it on with her.**_ She tangles her hands in his hair, one of his hands held onto her hip. The other one on her thigh. Gary walks in and sees them.

"So that's what you decided to do?" They pull apart and look at him. Bobby frowns.

"What're ye doin here, Gary?" 

"I said I'd come to Scotland if you didn't go to London. Olly told me you had no intention of going to London so I came here. This is what you decided to do instead of going to London?" 

"Aye. I'm twenty-five years old. I don't need permission to snog a lass I like. I don't need everyone else telling me what to do. I'm not going to London. I have no interest in talking to him. I'm sorry he's sick and dying, I am. I've been there. But I have absolutely no relationship with him and after knowing what he did to her I don't want to hear what he has to say. Now excuse us." He looks back at Sarah and smiles gently. "I'm sorry about that. As much as I don't want to say it I think ye should go home. I don't want to drag ye into this." He tangles their fingers together as he takes her hand. He looks at their hands and smiles, making her blush. He stands up and helps her up. "I'll walk ye out." They walk past Gary. Bobby glares at him. "I'll be back in a minute. Try not to interrupt this time, yeah?" He walks her to the car and looks into her eyes, tucking some lose hair behind her ear.

"I'm glad I came over."

"Me too. It's gonna be weird not seeing ye fer a while."

"I'll try to come back soon. But you'll still talk to me, right?" He smiles.

"All the time. Text me when ye make it home?" She nods. He kisses her again, his heart pounding in his chest. "Goodnight, Sarah." She blushes. 

"Goodnight, Bobby." He watches her leave, feeling all alone again. He turns and sees Gary watching him. He sighs and walks past him into the flat.

"Let's hear it then. Go on. Start telling me it's wrong to move on, I love Maizie and she loves me, tell me I should wait. Ye know the usual stuff." Gary sighs and sits down next to him on the couch.

"Tell me how you feel about Sarah. How you honestly feel about her."

"Fer the first time in months I feel happy when I'm with her. The hole in my hear shrinks. She makes me feel things I haven't felt in months. I feel like she sees _me._ As just Bobby. Not Bobby Maizie's husband or Bobby Maizie's boyfriend. As just me. She makes me smile and laugh." Gary looked at him confused.

"We've all always seen you."

"No. Maybe at first but over time it stopped being Bobby and Maizie as separate people and became one person...Maizie. I was just seen as her partner. And ye've all been treating me as just her partner. Not as my own person. I get it. Ye want us to be together. I want us to be together too. But she left me. I've always waited fer her but this time I think she hurt me too much to just act like nothing happened. I need to think about me fer once. I need to put myself first." Gary looks at him sadly.

"You really felt like we didn't see you anymore?" Bobby nods. Gary looks away for a moment. "I'm so sorry. I didn't stop to think about how you're really feeling. I didn't mean to make you feel like you only mattered when you were with her. You're one of my best mates. You mean just as much to me as she does. I value our friendship just as much us hers. I just know how good you are together and I want you both to be happy. You two just seem like such a good match and you've had that bloody spark since the moment you met and that kind of thing doesn't always happen."

"I know. Gary, I still love her with everything I am. But we've reached a point where I'm just not enough anymore. At the end of the day even if she really did love me as much as I thought she did she still didn't trust me. She didn't trust me to take care of myself and that hurts. She knows me better than anyone, even Olly. But she couldn't put her faith into me. After all this time she couldn't have faith in us...in me."

"I just want you two to be happy."

"I'm getting there though. I mean with Sarah this just started. We aren't even dating. Today we spent just as mates. We grafted a bit but the snogging didn't happen until after I came home after I talked to ye. She called me and we were just chatting then she showed up. It hasn't gone past that."

"From what I saw it looked like there could be something there. I mean I saw it at the Villa too....but you were all about Maizie then. Things are different now....so maybe it could be something. I'm just a little sad I guess. I was really rooting for you two....I really hoped you two would make it." Bobby sighs.

"Me too, mate. I wasn't ready to give up. If I'm honest I'm still not....but I need to move forward. I'm tired of drowning in this. How many more times is she going to leave me before she stays? I can't do this again. That's the third time in a year we've been separated....but I don't think she's coming back. She didn't even talk to anyone but Ainsley until recently. That tells me she doesn't want any of us around. Things are different this time." Gary sighs.

"So are you really moving on?" Bobby shrugs.

"It's better than sitting around hoping she'll come home. I keep putting my life on pause fer her and it never works out. It's never enough she leaves anyway. This time this is all her. I can't help her...I can't save her. I lost myself loving her and now it's my turn to find myself. I'll love her until the day I die. She will always be my lass. She will always be my one. I still don't want to marry anyone else or have kids with anyone else. She's still the only one I want to do that with. But I have to move on, Gary. Staying in this is killing me. I cry everyday thinking about her. Every night I look at the pictures I have of her and I just can't do it anymore. I'm miserable and I have to do something." Gary leans over and hugs him.

"I'm so sorry, mate. I'm sorry you're hurting and not paying attention to you. I'm sorry I haven't been more considerate."

"It's alright, mate. I know it wasn't intentional." They spent the rest of the night catching up and laughing. Even Oliver joined in. Gary went home the next day, he said he had something to do before he went to work. Over the next few days he talked to Sarah on the phone every night and texted her every chance he had. He started talking to Noah again, but refused to talk about Maizie. Slowly over the next few weeks things normalized for the most part. On September 3rd he came home to find all his friends at his flat. He beams at them. "What are ye all doing here???" Gary looked at him confused.

"It's your birthday, mate! You're twenty-six now!" Bobby wasted no time in catching up with everyone. He felt nothing but joy seeing his friends again. When his doorbell rang he opened it and saw Sarah smiling at him.

"Happy birthday, babe!" He hugs her tightly and swings her around.

"Yer here!?" She laughs and he puts her down and looks into her eyes, running his thumb softly along her jaw.

"Obviously." Someone coughs, making her look over. She sees everyone and blushes. "Oh I'm so sorry. I didn't know you had guest. I'll come back later." He looks at her confused and puts his arm around her shoulders.

"Why? Ye can come in and join us. Right?" He looks at everyone. Noah and Gary nod and shrug.

"Yeah, of course." Everyone else stared at them surprised. Bobby looks at them a second.

"What?" Chelsea opens and closes her mouth a couple times. Finally she clears her throat. 

"You're.....dating? Is this.....your.....girlfriend?" He blushes.

"Well, yes and no. We aren't exactly dating. We've been talking a whole lot. I have a crush on her but we aren't like an official couple....we're still in the getting to know each other phase." Lottie meets Chelsea's eyes and looks down.

"It looks like a little more than a crush......" He sighs.

"We're not doing this open discussion thing fer every relationship I have. Maizie was it cause ye were gonna hear about it one way or another since ye were all both our mates. But what happens with Sarah and what I feel with Sarah isn't to be analyzed." Sarah twist her hands nervously. 

"Um, I'm gonna go. I don't think anyone is quite ready for this stage yet. But I'm in town for a few days so I'll see you later. I'll, uh, talk to you tomorrow." She turns to everyone else. "It was nice to see you boys again. And nice to meet the girls finally." She looks into Bobby's eyes. A mixture of disappointment and anger swirled in his chest. Hope steps towards her.

"Please stay. It just took us by surprise is all. We didn't know. But you're more than welcome to stay. It would mean a lot to Bobby and I'd love to get to know you." Sarah smiles at her.

"I mean if everyone else is okay with it...." Lottie meets Chelsea's eyes and forces a smile.

"Of course. I'm sorry we made you feel unwelcome. It was just a shock." Sarah nods.

"Okay. Thanks." Bobby beams at her and takes her hand. 

"Right. So ye know the lads already. This is Hope, Lottie and Chelsea. Girls this is Sarah. She was my partner when ye girls went to Casa Amor. She's the one that got Sam to back off." Lottie raises an eyebrow.

"Oh, so you two actually know each other?"

"Aye. I mean nothing happened then but back in July we ran into each other at one of the pubs and exchanged numbers. We've been talking ever since." Hope genuinely smiles as she looks at them.

"Well it's nice to officially meet you. We heard a lot about you when we got back. I wish you would've made it back." Sarah blushes.

"Me too but grafting on someone who's unavailable just isn't my style." Chelsea looks at her confused.

"Wait....but what about right now? He's still technically married. And I'm sure he still has feelings for her."

"Which is why we aren't dating. It's not fair to her to try and be with her when I'm not fully ready yet. Believe me she's trying though." Sarah gasps and swats his arm.

"I am not. I'm making you wait." He laughs and pokes her ribs.

"Let's call it a mutual agreement then." She rolls her eyes.

"You're impossible I swear. I don't know how they've put up with you this long." Chelsea giggles.

"It's definitely been difficult. He once yelled at me." Sarah frowns at him.

"Why? She's so sweet and bubbly. How can anyone be mad at her?" Lottie raises a hand.

"I've definitely been mad at her." Bobby points at her.

"To be fair ye have an attitude...ye get mad at everyone." Lottie smiles and pushes his shoulder.

"Birthday or not I'll kick your ass, Bobs." Sarah winks at Lottie.

"Wanna tag team it?" Bobby looks at her offended.

"I change my mind. Go home this wasn't a good idea." 

"Nope, too late. You're stuck with me." He shrugs and smiles at her.

"Maybe I'm okay with that." She blushes and gently pushes him away.

"Go for a guys chat so we can have a girls chat. I want to get all the dirt on you." He bites his lip.

"Let me show ye how dirty I can be." Her cheeks turn redder.

"I told you no. It has to mean something. I'm not a rebound." He looks into her eyes.

"Yer not a rebound." Noah puts his arm around Bobby's shoulders.

"We're gonna steal him for a bit. If that's okay, Sarah." She smiles at Noah.

"Please do, you'd be doing me a huge favor." Bobby gasps.

"Now that hurts." Noah drags him away. "Alright, alright. What is it?"

"What we can't chat with the birthday boy?"

"I'm a man not a boy. But I get the feeling there's gonna be questions...." Noah shrugs.

"We might have a few." He sighs.

"Alright, what is it?" Noah looks down a minute.

"I thought this wasn't anything serious."

"It's not. We haven't even been on a date."

"But that over there....and she called you babe....it just seems like these feelings are more than a crush."

"Fer me, fer now, they're a crush except she knows I like her. And she likes me too but we aren't a thing, we aren't exclusive." Noah shrugs.

"She seems really into you. More than at the Villa."

"Well we've had more time to talk than we did at the Villa. There I got two days and here I have as many days as we want."

"I just....I guess I'm a little confused. I mean I knew you were talking to her and I'm happy for you...I'm just disappointed I guess."

"Because of her?"

"Maizie? Yeah....I'm sorry." Bobby sighs and looks down.

"The day she left it felt like I had a huge hole in my chest and it felt like my soul shattered into a million pieces. Fer almost a year she was my other half. She was it. She was my soulmate and the person I wanted to do everything with. Losing her made me realize I didn't know who I was anymore cause so much of me now was her other half too. I will always love her more than anything. She will always be my person....but I need to move on. Sitting here thinking about her all day...it kills me. Every night I dream about her. About the way she laughs, about the her smile, her dimples, the way she sings, how peaceful she looks when she falls asleep on the couch. She haunts me everyday, all day. The only time it stops is when I talk to Sarah. If it wasn't fer her I'd still be crying all day. She makes it feel more bearable. And the way she talks to me makes me feel like one day I'll figure things out again and life will be normal again. She gives me hope....Maizie will always be the love of my life but I can't waste anymore time pining after someone that can just walk away from me like that." Gary and Noah look at each other. Gary sighs.

"Bobby....we need to tell you something." He looks between them.

"Maizie-" Oliver walks in and looks at Bobby.

"Hey! There he is!" He runs up to Bobby and hugs him. "Happy birthday, mate." Bobby smiles and hugs him back.

"Thanks, bruv. Where have ye been?"

"I was hanging out with some mates from work. It's one of their birthdays too so we went fer a couple drinks after work."

"Well yer just in time. Everyone's here."

"Everyone...."

"Everyone except her." Sarah and Hope walk over to Bobby and Oliver. Oliver kisses Hope's cheek.

"Hey. I didn't know ye were coming." She blushes.

"I know. It was a surprise." Bobby raises his eyebrows and looks between them. Oliver bites his lip.

"I like surprises." 

"Good to know." Noah sighs and walks outside. Bobby looks around and follows him outside with Gary close behind.

"Ye alright , mate?" He shrugs.

"I knew she'd be dating again soon....I just didn't think it'd be someone I knew." Gary pats his shoulder.

"It's been months though. Maybe you should start seeing someone else too."

"I mean maybe but I don't know if I'm ready."

"I can always call Sam fer ye. I know she thinks yer sexy." Noah smiles at him.

"Call her and she'll find out your single and try to fuck you not me." Bobby shrugs.

"She'll probably try to fek us both." Gary chokes on his drink.

"I was not expecting that to come out of your mouth." Bobby laughs.

"What about Emily!? Sarah still talks to her! I could see if she'd be up fer it. Then we can double date again." He wiggles his eyebrows.

"Double date? I thought you two weren't dating...."

"We aren't yet....but I kind of hope we do." Gary furrows his eyebrows.

"So try to explain this to me again. You love Maizie, but you don't want to wait for her. You like Sarah, but you don't want to date her. And you want to date her, but you don't want to marry her or have kids with her."

"Aye."

"But why? You love Maizie, you are married to Maizie, and you want kids with Maizie but you don't want to wait for her."

"Do ye know fer sure she's coming back?" Noah and Gary look at each other.

"Yes." Bobby chokes on his drink this time.

"Say what?" Gary sighs.

"I cannot explain anything else besides that. But she will." 

"When?"

"I don't know that either."

"Did she say she would?"

"Well, not exactly....."

"So then how do ye know she's coming back?"

"Just trust me on this. She's going to come home. I know you've kind of started trying to move on and stuff....but Maizie is still an option."

"What about Rocco?" Gary shrugs.

"They're just mates. She ran into him after she left and just hung out with him a while. She helped him pick up girls for him." Bobby looks down for a moment.

"But ye don't know when?"

"No, I don't."

"What if it's not fer another year? Am I supposed to just wait around fer a year and let a woman like Sarah slip through my fingers? Have ye met her? She's amazing. She's funny and sweet and pretty. She's confident and smart. Plus it helps she doesn't have a crazy ex trying to hunt her down." Noah sighs and rests his head in his hand.

"Can you honestly tell me you like her more than Maizie? If Maizie and Sarah were standing right in front of you who would you choose?"

"Ye know Sarah asked me that a few weeks ago."

"And?"

"And I told her I'd choose her."

"Really?"

"Aye. And then later that night she came over and we snogged a lot. She's an amazing kisser." Noah sighs and rubs his face.

"You would really walk away from Maizie for Sarah?"

"I want to say yes...."

"But......"

"But honestly, dinnae ken. Sarah is here right now. And so far she hasn't done any of the shit Maizie had in the first few weeks of whatever ye want to call this. There's been no mixed signals and back and forth and ups and downs. We graft a lot and joke about wanting to be with each other and sleep with each other but we both know now isn't the right time. So I don't want kids with her or marriage. I don't want that with anyone else, I can't see it with anyone else. But I'd be stupid to let her go." Noah shrugs.

"Alright....but if you do this, if you choose her, you're ruining any chance with Maizie."

"Maizie ruined any chance I had with Maizie. I feking married her and it wasn't enough....we were happily married like what three months out of the six? Maybe we just aren't compatible. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be." **_Maybe she saw what I was to stupid to see. Maybe I was so blinded by love her I didn't see it myself....we just aren't compatible.......even if she came home I don't think I could trust her again......._**


	20. Moving On

That night Bobby watched Sarah laugh and chat with all his friends and Olly. They all accepted her into their group, even Lottie came around by the end of the night. Eventually, everyone started winding down and going to bed. He said goodnight to everyone as they started getting ready for bed. He looked at Sarah.

"Ye can stay here tonight if ye want. Out here if yer more comfortable. I promise I won't try anything." She smiles and thinks a moment.

"Okay....but no funny business. Let me go call my friend." He nods and heads to his room and starts getting dressed. He's in his boxers when she walks in. She stops and stares at him from top to bottom a moment. He blushes and clears his throat.

"Sorry....I thought ye'd be longer." She clears her throat, her cheeks still flushed.

"It's, uh, it's okay. I should've knocked." He walks towards her, making her swallow hard. He leans close to her, reaching behind her to open a drawer and pull pajama bottoms out of it.

"Just getting pajamas....." She lets out the breath she was holding in. She closes her eyes and smiles.

"Right....pajamas." He raises his eyebrows and puts them on. 

"Do ye want to borrow some of my clothes? I have extras ye can use tonight."

"Oh, uh, sure. Thanks. I didn't even think about that." He smiles and grabs one of his shirts and pajama bottoms.

"These are yours right?" He stops and clears his throat.

"Aye. Her stuff I gave back to her sister." She nods and raises her eyebrows at him. He realizes what she means. "Oh, shit. My bad." He turns around and covers his eyes. A minute later he feels her arms come around his waist, hugging him from behind. He slowly moves his hands away from his eyes and looks in the mirror. Seeing Sarah's arms wrapped around his waist made him have so many mixed feelings. She looks at them in the mirror and smiles.

"We look good together." He smiles.

"We do." He turns around and looks into her eyes, his heart pounding. She wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him. He loved the way she kissed him. She bit his lip gently, making him moan. "Fek. Ye don't want to do that."

"Why?" He blushes.

"It, uh, it turns me on. And I promised I'd keep my hands to myself." She smiles and kisses him again. She bites his lip and wraps a leg around his waist. He grabs her thigh and squeezes it. She runs her hands across his chest, lightly digging her nails into him. He moans again. "Fek, Sarah." He blushes when he says her name. She leads him to the bed and lays down with him on top of her. She wraps her legs around his waist as she kisses him. His heart was beating so hard he was sure that she could hear it. He didn't push any further. She looks into his eyes.

"Bobby, I want to." He looks at her a minute.

"Are ye sure?" She smiles and nods.

"If you're ready that is. I don't want to push you." He looks at her a long moment before slowly leaning down and kissing her. He grinded against her and bit her lip. She moaned against their kiss. "Fuck, Bobby." She sat up and pulled her shirt off, revealing her perky breasts. He swallows hard, trying to hide his nerves. She puts a hand on his cheek and smiles. "It's okay to be nervous." He looks at her confused. "Your eyes give away everything." He blushes again. She removed her panties and removed his pants and boxers. "Do you have protection?" He grabs a condom from his bedside table. She smiles and kisses him as she strokes him. She puts it on him and looked into his eyes. He slowly put himself inside her. Her eyes watered.

"Are ye okay? Does it hurt?" She blushes.

"A little. But I'll be okay." He kisses her as he pulls out and enters a little bit of him at a time until she gets used to him. He tried to focus on Sarah but he kept thinking about Maizie. She put her hands on his hips and looked at him. "Bobby.....I think I changed my mind.....I don't think I'm ready for this step yet." He nods and gets off of her. "I'm sorry......"

"Don't apologize. If yer not ready yer not ready. Don't ever think ye have to do something with me ye don't want to." She nods and looks down, he kisses her cheek and grabs their clothes. After they're dressed she cuddles into him.

"You weren't ready either....were you?" _**Fek.**_

"No, I wasn't. I'm sorry. I wanted to be."

"It's okay. Same with me." He sighs.

"What are we doing, Sarah?"

"We're trying to make something work that we both know might not." He looks at her eyes.

"I want it to."

"I do too."

"Why isn't that enough?" She shrugs.

"Because we've found ourselves in a very complicated situation.....you're still so in love with her. And I'm falling for a guy in love with another woman." He felt his eyes sting.

"I wish I met ye first."

"Me too." She lays her head back down. After a while his phone vibrates. He looks at Sarah asleep next to him before he picks it up. It's a text from an unknown birthday.

_"I know technically I'm late but I didn't get the guts until now...so I'm sorry. But happy birthday."_

_"Who is this?"_

_"Is this Bobby?"_

_"Aye.....and you are?"_

_"Don't worry about it....I just wanted to say happy birthday."_

_"Thank you....why won't you tell me who you are?"_

_"Because I don't want you to stop talking to me."_

_"Sam? Maizie?"_

_"No...."_

_"Then who?"_

_"For now you can call me Sasha."_

_"Okay...well Sasha....thank you for the birthday wishes."_

_"You're welcome. Has it been a good day?"_

_"Yeah. My mates surprised me at my flat. I haven't seen most of them in months."_

_"Ah, they got to meet your girlfriend then?"_

_"I don't have a girlfriend. I have a girl that's a friend....we snog a bit but we aren't exclusive or dating or anything."_

_"How come? From what I've heard you're quite a catch."_

_"I can't give something away that isn't mine. Besides, relationships aren't my thing anymore."_

_"That's not what I heard......"_

_"Well you heard wrong. I tried a relationship and it didn't work out."_

_"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."_

_"Who told you this stuff?"_

_"A friend of a friend."_

_"But who?"_

_"Can't say."_

_"Why?"_

_"I don't want you to get mad at them."_

_"Okay...."_

_"So did you get anything nice for your birthday?"_

_"A couple bottles of scotch, a new apron and a visit from my mates."_

_"That sounds....exciting....lol."_

_"Hey, I liked it. It was my favorite scotch. And I could always use more aprons...sure there wasn't matching mittens but it's still nice. Lol."_

_"No matching mittens?? That's a crime."_

_"Hey , don't make fun. I don't even know you....or do I?"_

_"Not teeeellllliiiiinnnnnggg. That's my secret._ 😉" 

_"You're a tease."_

_"Oh, if only you knew._ 😘"

_"Have we actually met before?"_

_"Loads of times."_

_"What do you look like?"_

_"Fucking hot."_

_"Oh that's so descriptive. Thanks for that."_

_"I'm glad I could help. Any more questions?"_

_"How old are you?"_

_"25."_

_"When's your birthday?"_

_"I'm a cancer for my zodiac sign."_

_"That doesn't answer my question."_

_"Because if I tell you you might figure out who I am."_

_"Okay...how long have we known each other?"_

_"Not that long."_

_"You are only making this more confusing. I haven't met many new people....unless you're that girl from the pub."_

_"What girl is that?"_

_"The one Sarah scared off."_

_"Maybe I am.....is Sarah your girl that's a friend?"_

_"Maybe."_

_"Ah, so I'm not the only one hiding secrets."_

_"I'll answer yours when you answer mine."_

_"Damn you're good."_

_"I hear that a lot._ 😘 _"_

_"Oh, someone seems confident. I certainly haven't heard that."_

_"Ouch. That hurts. How would you even know? I assume since you're too scared to tell me who you really are that we didn't get along before and if that's the case we haven't slept together."_

_"Wouldn't you like to know?"_

_"Are you one of the girls from before?"_

_"Before what?"_

_"Before my only ex."_

_"You've only had one ex?"_

_"Aye. I said relationships weren't my thing. Do you even read my messages? I feel like you're not listening."_

_"Lol. I'm listening, smartass."_

_"Just saying. You should know that by now."_

_"We've been talking all of ten minutes?"_

_"But it's text. So you can go back and reread so you know this stuff. There's gonna be a pop quiz and you can't use notes."_

_"Lmao. A pop quiz on what?"_

_"And the details of this conversation, duh."_

_"You're awfully flirty for someone talking to someone he doesn't know."_

_"But you said I do know you. See you're not paying attention."_

_"I am too! I'm just saying you don't know who this is and you're hardcore grafting."_

_"In my defense I flirt a lot."_

_"Oh how charming."_

_"Hey I'm not trying to be charming. I'm making your night."_

_"Making my night? How so?"_

_"Cause you get to talk to me, duh."_

_"You're rude."_

_"Why?"_

_"I don't know how I feel about you yet...."_

_"Then why are you texting me?"_

_"Because you're funny."_

_"I get that a lot thanks."_

_"I meant funny looking...."_

_"Ouch! Now that one actually hurt. I think my pride got dented a bit."_

_"Nah, you'll be alright."_

_"No I won't. I might need to go to the doctor and get this checked out. It put a serious dent in my pride."_

_"You're so dramatic! Ask Sarah to snog you and make it better."_

_"She's asleep. I don't know how mad she'll be if I wake her up...."_

_"So she's staying the night then?"  
_

_"You're really nosey for someone who doesn't want to tell me who they are."_

_"Maybe I just want to get to know you better."_

_"But I thought you knew me....."_

_"I do. But you don't know how well you do or do not know me."_

_"I kind of hate you right now. I think I'm getting a headache."_

_"Lol. I'm sorry. I'll let you go to bed then."_

_"I mean if you want to."_

_"I should...it's late. Get some rest."_

_"Okay...thank you again....goodnight Sasha."_

_"Goodnight Bobby."_ He falls asleep trying to figure out who that was. The next morning he wakes up and sees Sarah still asleep next to him. He quietly gets out of bed and goes to the kitchen. The others were already awake. He started thinking about the person he talked to last night as he made himself a cuppa. He turns and sees everyone looking at him.

"What?" Gary crosses his arms.

"You're smiling." He blushes.

"I am?" Lottie looks at him suspiciously.

"Why are you smiling? Did things....happen with Sarah?" 

"No. We almost did but neither of us felt ready....." Noah swatted Lottie's arm.

"Look, now you bummed him out." Bobby chuckles and rolls his eyes. Chelsea looks at him confused.

"So if it isn't Sarah then why are you smiling? It's weird for you to be smiling while you make a cuppa." Gary looks at her offended.

"I smile when I make a cuppa."

"Yes, but you're also oddly in love with your cuppas. They're your life." He shrugs.

"Good point." Hope raises an eyebrow.

"Are you gonna tell us?" He thinks a moment as he takes a sip of his cuppa.

"Nope. How did everyone sleep?" They all exclaim in exasperation and go back to their breakfast. The next few days he spent with his friends, Sarah and Olly. On the following Sunday he took Sarah to the airport accompanied with his friends. He said goodbye and turned to Sarah. He puts a hand on her cheek. "I'm gonna miss ye, lass." She smiles and looks into his eyes.

"I'm gonna miss you too. I'll text you when I land."

"Okay. Be safe. Promise ye'll come visit soon?" She giggles.

"I promise." He leans down and kisses her gently. After a minute they pull away, smiling. "I better go before I miss my flight."

"Is that bad? Then ye could stay here."

"If I want to keep my job I need to go."

"There's jobs here." She laughs and rolls her eyes.

"I told you I'm not moving here unless we're a serious couple....we aren't even a couple." He bites his lip.

"I can definitely change that." She blushes and gently pushes him.

"Bye Bobby."

"Bye Sarah." She turns and walks away. He turns and sees everyone watching him. "Shit! Will ye stop doing that???" Noah shrugs.

"I have no clue what you're talking about." Gary looked at something behind him. He started to turn around when Noah come and hugged him. "I'm gonna miss you, mate. We'll see you soon, yeah?" Bobby laughs.

"Aye. I'll miss ye too, big man." After a minute he pulls away. After he says another round of goodbyes everyone leaves. He's on his way to the car when he gets another text from Sasha.

_"Hey you. Long time no talk."_

_"A day is a very long time."_

_"Does Sarah know we've been talking?"_

_"Aye. I told her. I'm not about the secret kind of thing. She knows we aren't exclusive or anything. She wasn't exactly thrilled but not mad either."_

_"Yet you keep talking to me."_

_"I do."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because I want to."_ He gets in the car and drives home before he reads her reply.

_"See that's such a basic answer. I know you can give me a better one that that."_

_"Fine, fine. Because you make me feel better."_

_"Why are you sick??"_

_"No."_

_"Are you hurt?"_

_"In a way."_

_"Alright Bobby. Tell me. Now."_

_"Okay, okay. It's been really hard the last few months since my ex left. Talking to you helps me feel better. Maybe between you and Sarah I can move on from this."_

_"Ahhh, the ex you told me about yesterday?"_

_"Aye. I've only had one ex. You really need to start paying attention."_

_"Don't you start that. I'll punch you through the phone."_

_"Do you remember that song kiss me thru the phone??"_

_"Uhhhhh......no. Who sang it?"_

_"Don't laugh. Soulja Boy. I definitely used to listen to him."_

_"OMG. NO FUCKING WAY."_

_"Hey don't judge me! I was like thirteen or something."_

_"I used to listen to him too it's okay. I won't judge you."_

_"Good. Punk."_

_"Anyway, why do you ask?"_

_"That's what it reminded me of when you said you'd punch me through the phone."_

_"BABY KISS ME THRU THE PHONE!!!!"_

_"I'LL SEE YOU LATER ON!!!!!"_

_"Lmao. That's great."_

_"I guess you're not so bad to talk to."_

_"Eh, same with you."_

_"I am amazing...in many ways."_

_"You pervert."_

_"Maybe I meant in different ways."_

_"Like what?"_

_"Like I'm really thoughtful."_

_"Oh really? Like when?"_

_"This one time my ex was crying because she missed my mum so I showed her a page in my mum's journal where she wrote about her to make her feel better."_

_"Awww. Okay. I'll give you that. You do seem thoughtful."_

_"I told you. I accept your apology by the way."_

_"I definitely didn't apologize."_

_"You should."_

_"I will not."_

_"Then tell me who you are."_

_"I will soon. But I'm not ready yet."_

_"I'd like to meet you though. I want to know who you are. Or at least our mutual friend. Or what was it friend of a friend?"_

_"See you would fail the pop quiz because I literally told you."_

_"No you didn't!"_

_"I said a friend of a friend, duh."_

_"That's what I said!"_

_"You definitely didn't say it confidently."_

_"So? I still said it so it counts."_

_"Mmmm, maybe. We'll see."_

_"No, it counts. In school even if you answer a question with the lack of confidence as long as it's right it counts. So this one counts."_

_"This isn't school though."_

_"So?"_

_"So it doesn't count."_

_"That's rude. I hate you."_

_"No you don't. If you hated me you wouldn't be talking to me."_ He smiles and grabs a drink from the fridge before laying down on the couch.

_"But you said if I found out who you were I really would hate you. So technically I'm right."_

_"Okay I'll give you that one."_

_"Finally! I got one!"_

_"Lol. You're stupid."_

_"You know I hear that an awful lot. I'm starting to wonder if I actually am."_

_"It's okay, love. Obviously your other qualities weigh out the stupidity because your mates still like you."_

_"Aw, that's so sweet of you. I don't think you've ever said anything so nice to me."_

_"Lies! I've been nice all week. I said you were thoughtful earlier."_

_"That's true. Okay, favorite holiday?"_

_"Christmas. Especially if there's snow."_

_"Nice. I personally like Halloween."_

_"How come?"_

_"My ex sort of made me fall in love with it."_

_"Aw, look at you being all sentimental. You melt."_

_"Hey stop judging me. I can have feelings."_

_"True, true. Okay, what is your dream job?"_

_"Owning my own bakery."_

_"I should've guessed that. Lol."_

_"And yours?"_

_"Becoming a social worker to help little kids."_

_"That's a hard one. That's tough."_

_"I know. But I want to help little kids in ways I couldn't be helped."_

_"That's really sweet of you."_ Oliver walks in and sees him smiling as he texts.

"Who're ye talking to? Sarah?"

"Nah, she's on her way home. I'm talking to this girl Sasha."

"Sasha? When did ye meet her?"

"I don't actually know..."

"So how did she get yer number?"

"I don't know that either." Oliver looks at him a minute.

"Ye know what, I don't want to know. This sounds too weird fer me." Bobby laughs and throws a pillow at him.

"Shut up, big head." Oliver throws a pillow back.

"Make me, dummy." Bobby throws another pillow at him, starting a pillow war. They're interrupted by someone knocking on the door. Bobby opens it and finds Sarah on the doorstep.

"Sarah?? What are ye doing here? I thought ye went home....."

"I didn't want to leave yet."

"But yer job."

"I called them and extended my leave a few more days. I just won't have vacation time for the holidays." He smiles at her. 

"Well, I'm really happy ye decided to stay a bit longer." She blushes.

"Me too." He pulls her to him and kisses her. She wraps her arms around his neck and holds him close. **_I swear I could do this ferever._**


	21. What Now?

The next day on Bobby's first break at work he texted Sarah.

_"Having fun with your friend?"_

_"I am. We were just getting ready for lunch actually."_ He gets a text from Maizie's mum, Susan.

_"I got you something for your birthday."_

_"Really?"_

_"Well yeah, it's your birthday. Well it was a few days ago but it didn't come in until today."_

_"Oh....well thank you....but why? Maizie and I aren't together anymore...."_

_"Together or not I still love you. You'll always be my family. Can I give it to you?"_

_"Uh, sure. I'm at work right now."_

_"Can I drop it off there?" **Ye know...she still doesn't know Big Jonno is here.....maybe they could still get their happy ending.**_

_"Yeah, of course."_ He gives her directions to his job. When she gets there she texts him. He goes up to Big Jonno.

"Oi, can I steal ye fer a minute?"

"Sure." He leads him towards the door. "Everything alright?"

"Aye. I've got to get something from a friend and I really want ye to meet her." He looks at him confused but keeps following him. Her mum gets of the car and smiles at him. She had brown curly hair like Maizie's and bright blue eyes. She was curvy like Maizie too.

"There's my handsome son-in-law!" She hugs him. He smiles and steps back.

"Susan, this is Jonno Samuel. Jonno, this is Susan Clark." Big Jonno and Susan stare at each other for a minute. Big Jonno looks between Bobby and Susan.

"This is...yer...Susie?" She takes a step towards him.

"Jonny? Is that really ye?" Big Jonno smiles.

"Aye. What...what are ye doin here?"

"Well I moved back to Scotland months ago to be with Maizie and Bobby. Maizie's my daughter." Big Jonno looks at Bobby again before looking back at Susan.

"What about yer husband?"

"We got divorced a few years ago..." Bobby clears his throat and gently takes the present.

"I'm gonna give ye a minute to chat and catch up. I've got an eye on the others Big Jonno...take yer time." He smiles and goes inside. A while later Big Jonno comes up to him.

"Bobby, can I see ye a moment?"

"Aye." He follows him to the office.

"How did ye know?"

"Maizie found some pictures of ye in her mum's stuff a few months ago. She told her the story of what happened and I told her about what ye told me. We put two and two together, and the picture helped, and figured it out."

"So ye've known fer months?"

"Aye. We just couldn't figure out the right time to have ye meet."

"So why now?" He shrugs.

"I'm a romantic, Big Jonno. I thought just cause my love life is complicated doesn't mean yers has to be. I was hoping maybe ye two could still hit off and be happy. I'm sorry fer getting in yer personal life, I just want the both of ye to be happy. Someone deserves a happy ending and it certainly isn't me." He looks at him for a long moment before he hugs him.

"I don't know what to say." Bobby chuckles and hugs him back.

"Just don't fek it up this time, alright?" Big Jonno laughs and looks at him.

"I'll try not to. Now get back to work." He smiles at him and goes back to the kitchen. He thought about Maizie all day. _**I wonder if she would be happy to hear that they reconnected. I wonder if she'd be happy fer them. Did her mum call her after she left and tell her? She always wanted them to get together. I hope they end up happy together. Love has to exist somewhere.**_ Sarah is still out with her friend when he gets home from work. He takes a quick shower and goes to his room to get dressed. His phone starts ringing while he pulls his pants on. He answers it and puts it on speaker.

"Sasha?"

"No." He freezes. "I'm not Sasha, I'm sorry."

"Maizie?" 

"Yeah.....I'm sorry I lied to you about who it was....I just wanted to get the chance to talk to you a bit before you ignored me."

"But why?"

"Because I missed talking to you." He doesn't say anything. His heart pounded and his thoughts raced. _**But why? Why would she want to talk to me?**_ She clears her throat. "Anyway, my mum just called me..." 

"I thought she might."

"So you finally had them meet, huh? How was it?"

"Their faces were priceless. Big Jonno seemed to be happy afterwards. Maybe it'll work out fer them this time."

"I hope so. They deserve to be happy." 

"Yeah, love like that doesn't happen everyday." _**We should know...**_

"Yeah, I kind of figured that out." They're both quiet a moment.

"So it was ye that wished me a happy birthday? And yer the one I've been talking to all week?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I just thought you wouldn't want to talk to me...and I wanted to talk to you...so I lied."

"I don't really know what to say."

"In like a good way or bad way?"

"Honestly? Dinnae ken. This is the first time we've talked...well me knowing we talked, since ye left. Why now?"

"Because I missed you. Well I've missed you this whole time but I wanted to talk to you. I miss hearing your laugh and the sound of your voice."

"This doesn't make any sense. Why? Why now? Why do ye miss me?"

"Because I love you. And I realize I'm not the only one you love anymore-"

"Wait, what? Who else do I love?"

"Sarah?"

"Ohmygod, my head hurts. I don't love her. I like her...a lot. But I don't love her. I think one day I could if that's how it played out but I don't love her right now."

"But Lottie and Gary both said you looked like you were in love..."

"First, I'm gonna kill them fer telling ye anything at all about me. Second, I just like her a lot.. I'm not in love with her."

"So why are you with her then?"

"Technically I'm not. We like each other and talk all the time and graft but we aren't together. It's not fair to her fer me to try and pretend that I'm emotionally available fer a relationship right now and she doesn't want to be with me....while....I'm still....caught up on ye...." He could hear her smile.

"So you still....love me?" He sighs.

"Fek my life. Maizie, four months isn't gonna change how I feel about ye. It'll add new feelings but it doesn't mean I stopped loving ye."

"So you still love me and I love you....and we're still married...." 

"It's not exactly that easy anymore. There's two whole other people involved in this now."

"Wait two?? How many girls are you talking to??"

"What? Just one? Well two if ye want to be technical about right now. Anyway, I meant Rocco."

"Rocco????"

"Aren't ye like a thing now? Yer in his post. He tried to tried to hide ye but I saw yer tattoos....and hair."

"He said he wouldn't post those....but it's not what it looks like I promise. I ran into him in Ireland. And then just went with him places because I needed friend really. And he said you would kill him if you found out he let me just travel around Ireland alone."

"Ireland? Ye went to Ireland? I should've known. Ye always wanted to go."

"I did. And it was beautiful and amazing."

"Was?" Sarah walks in and smiles.

"Hey babe!" He freezes and stares at her. Maizie talks on the phone.

"Who's that? Is that Sarah?" Sarah frowns and crosses her arms.

"Why does your phone say Sasha but that's definitely Maizie on the phone?" Bobby walks up to Sarah.

"Babe, I swear I didn't know it was her. She wouldn't tell me who she was until just now. I swear I wasn't trying to hide anything."

"Oh really? So you weren't hiding the fact you were talking to your ex? You don't want to be with her? You still choose me then?" Before he can reply Maizie talks on the phone.

"You....you chose her?" He looks between the phone and Sarah.

"Maize, Sarah, please just wait." Sarah looks at him.

"I'm waiting."

"I, uh...I...we were just talking about her mum and my boss. Turns out they used to date-"

"That's one hell of a excuse. You really expect me to believe you were talking to your ex-wife about her mum?"

"Ex-wife? We're still married. I haven't gotten any divorce papers."

"Well how can I send them if I don't know where ye are? Well didn't."

"Well if you found out where why haven't you done it?"

"I just found out like five minutes ago."

"So you do choose her? You want a divorce?"

"Well what do ye want, Maizie? Ye left in the middle of the night in May and it's September 14th, it's been four months!" Sarah frowns.

"Why does it matter what she wants if you choose me?" 

"It doesn't. Sarah, please. Ye have to believe me. I didn't know it was her and I swear we were talking about her mum and Big Jonno. I swear." She shakes her head.

"I...I don't know what to say, Bobby. I really thought it meant something when you told me you chose me. After everything she has done to you you're still going to choose her. She's done nothing but torture you the whole time." Maizie talks over the phone.

"Um, what? Torture him? Girl, I've loved him from the day we met. I left because I had to protect him from my ex. Do you think it was easy leaving him like that? It almost killed me. Leaving him was by far the hardest thing I've ever gone through and I've been through a lot."

"Do not try that shit with me. He's been a mess because of you until I came along. He said I make him feel happy again. Happier than he's been in a long time."

"Last I heard you two weren't even a couple so what does it matter if we get divorced or not?"

"Because we can't be in a relationship because you broke his heart! He finally takes a shot at love and you just disappear in the middle of the night without a trace! You saw how amazing he is and you left! You think you're the only one that loves him?" Bobby finally speaks up.

"Alright! That's enough! I don't know what the hell ye both think yer doing to me but this conversation is over! I can't do this right now!" He walks out of the room, grabbing his shoes and jacket with his keys and leaves. He drives to his parents grave site and sits there for what feels like an eternity. He doesn't say anything he just sits there. _**Sarah's right, I did say I'd choose her. And I really thought I would. But Maizie....she makes things so complicated. She leaves in the middle of the night and doesn't say a word and then texts me on birthday and pretends to be someone else? Because she wanted to talk to me? But the whole time we were texting she kept saying I'd hate her and shit. I mean I almost hate her but not quite. Close to though. But she still wants me. But so does Sarah. They're both great. But I'm married to Maizie. But she also keeps leaving me and hurting me. But Sarah doesn't want to start anything yet, but then again she just got really pissed I was talking to Maizie. I don't want to marry Sarah or have kids with her...but I really like her. I don't think she has as much baggage as Maizie has. But Maizie...there's all this history. All these feelings and love. I still love her more than anything. That doesn't go away in four months.....but Sarah never hurt me. If anything I keep hurting her...fek my life. These women are gonna kill me. Where's my phone?? I need to talk to someone but I'm definitely not ready to go back there. What do I do now? Who do I choose? I thought it would be easy because she left and I didn't know what she wanted....but she sounded so hurt when Sarah said I'd choose her. Sarah's face too though. Goddamn it! Where's Gary and Noah when ye need them????**_

"Oi!" He turns around and sees Noah walking towards him. "You look like you need some company." He smiles and stands up.

"How is it ye knew I was just thinking I needed to talk to ye?" He looks around noticing how dark it was. "Wait, how long have I been out here?"

"Long enough for Olly to call me and me fly here."

"How did ye know I was here?" He shrugs and sits down on the bench.

"You come here when things get to be too much. I've figured that out months ago." Bobby sighs and sits down.

"Noah, mate, bruv. Everything is a mess again." 

"I got the short version but I definitely need to hear the long version." Bobby sighs and tells him everything.

"So I got this text on my birthday from a number I didn't know and I started talking to this person but she said her name was Sasha. We've been texting everyday all week. And then today I got Big Jonno and Susan together. They used to date a long, lone time ago. The one that got away type thing. And I assumed Maizie's mum would tell her at some point. Well after my shower when I got home Sasha calls me except it wasn't Sasha it was Maizie. And we start talking and it turns out she wasn't with Rocco in a relationship sense. She was just traveling with him in Ireland. And we started talking about us and then Sarah walked in. She heard Maizie's voice and then thought I was trying to hide the fact I was talking to my ex because her name is Sasha in my phone. And then they started arguing over who I choose and shit and I left. What am I supposed to do? Who do I choose? I still love Maizie but I really like Sarah. Maizie keeps hurting me but Sarah hasn't hurt me once. And they're both gorgeous and funny and sweet. But I have all this history with Maizie and we are married. But with Sarah it's new and exciting. But Maizie is familiar and comfortable. No matter who I choose someone gets hurt....even me." Noah stared at him wide-eyed for a minute.

"Your life is like a bad rom-com." Bobby smiles at him.

"Mate, what the hell do I do?? How is it that this shit keeps happening with these two specific girls? Why me? I'm not that great. The fek." Noah smiles.

"You do not give yourself enough credit. But moving on, Bobby. Stop thinking about them hurting. The fact is no matter who you choose one of them is going to be hurt. You can't stop that. Stop thinking about what they want because obviously they both want you. I want you to clear your mind. Now picture yourself in five years. Picture how you look, what job you'll have, what clothes you're wearing. Now look beside you. Who is standing beside you?"

"To be completely honest they're both there." Noah laughs.

"That's not how it works, mate. You may be able to have a threesome but you can't _be_ with both of them. Maybe that's how you should decide. Who's more prone to have the most threesomes with you?"

"To be fair, they'd both be down fer it. Remember Sarah, Emily and Sam in the Villa? And I've already had one with Maizie and Marisol and they both told me they're down fer that again. I don't think one could beat the other." Noah shakes his head.

"I will never understand how you got two gorgeous women who wants you so bad they were actually fighting over you." He shrugs.

"Would ye believe me if I said I didn't want this? I mean I love Maizie. So much it literally hurts to love her. But I love her so much I let myself get lost in loving her. And then everyone started seeing me as just her husband not as Bobby. We have so much history together. Good and bad. I want to build a life with her but I don't know if I can. This time she's cut me so much deeper than I thought was possible. How can we come back from this? She left me, man. She didn't have faith in me, in us. She couldn't trust that I could do this Alex thing. But with Sarah...it's so easy with her. We don't fight all the time about stupid shit, we have a lot of fun and laughs together, we're discovering all this stuff about each other. I mean, yes we aren't an actual couple. But if I like this so much before we reach that level then imagine what it could be like. I love talking to her and being around her. I love seeing her. She's so funny and smart. I never have a bad time when I'm with her."

"Could you see yourself marrying her?"

"Well no."

"How come?" He shrugs.

"When I picture marriage I picture Maizie."

"Why do you think that is? Because you're already married?" He thinks a minute.

"No. Because with her life is feking crazy, but then she takes my hand or wraps her arms around me and I feel like I can do this. She's always supported me when I needed it most and comforted me."

"Can you see yourself having kids with Sarah?"

"No. Kids, I don't even know where to start on that one. It's still a very confusing topic fer me."

"How about how they each make you feel? What's the difference in your feelings for them?"

"With Maizie it's comfortable and familiar. I used to know exactly what she was thinking without saying a word. And I admire her strength so damn much. She is so kind and sweet fer someone who's lived in actual hell her whole life. She still is so generous and caring. I love watching her just be here. I love seeing her get excited over little things like winning a game or accomplishing something she'd been working on. Watching her read and draw and paint. She makes everything she does look so beautiful. She just has this vibe about her that ye can't help but just stare and want to be with her."

"Well what about Sarah?"

"Sarah is amazing. We have so much fun together. And she's a really really good kisser. She's really smart and funny. And very confident which is incredibly hot. It's just so easy being with her. She doesn't make everything so hard all the time." Noah sighs.

"I feel like we're getting no where." Bobby looks at him unamused. 

"I'm so glad I have ye here with me. Yer support means everything."

"Okay, why don't you think about your favorite memories with each of them?" Bobby looks over his time with each of the girls.

"I have so many more memories with Maizie, we were together longer. We've been through a lot together...good and bad. But being with her feels so right. There's all those nights in the Villa. The first time we chose each other, all those times she read to me, our dance parties while we cooked, games nights with everyone, the walks in the parks, and all those very sexy alone times. But with Sarah it's always just so care free. It's easy and simple. She tells me what she feels when she feels it. She doesn't hide anything from me. She's completely transparent about everything. I never have to guess what she's thinking or try and figure out what she wants. She's really good at communicating. Who would you choose?" Noah shakes his head.

"Mm-mm. I don't want to get caught up in this one."

"Why?"

"Cause...I don't want things to misinterpreted..."

"Just tell me." Noah sighs.

"Alright. If I were you and I had to choose someone, I would choose Maizie."

"How come?" He shrugs.

"I mean yeah, things are more complicated with her. She has a lot of baggage that she's still trying to work through. But at the same time...this is Maizie. She's an absolutely incredible person. She has been through so much that most people let destroy them. But she fought against all odds to find happiness. That shows impeccable strength and courage. She's absolutely gorgeous in a million different ways. She is so funny and fun and can make anyone smile. But besides all of that...just seeing you two together works. You feed off of each others energies and you help each other and encourage each other. The way you two bounce off each other and make each other laugh. The way you look at each other. It's so rare to have what you have. Yes, it's hard to be with her. She makes things very very difficult...but all the good times definitely outweigh the bad."

"What if she hurts me again?"

"You were willing to take that risk before you two were even together. And to be fair, you've hurt her too. She sees what you two have and would rather risk the pain than lose you. Because even with the pain she still has you and you make it better. You're her calm in the storm." He looks at his parents graves. "What do you think they would tell you?"

"They'd probably tell me to stop being stupid and be with Maizie. They adored her. They thought she was absolutely perfect fer me."

"She kind of is." He smiles.

"Oh really? Care to explain?"

"You would do anything you possibly could to protect her and keep her safe. No matter what you had to do you would do it. You would sacrifice damn near anything for her. And she would do the same with you. Do you remember when you broke up with her when your mum got sick? It was because you wanted to protect her from the pain of losing your mum. And in London when you let Carl be there for her even though it killed you to see them together? You put her happiness above yours. And she sacrificed just as much as you have. She loves you more than I've seen any woman love another man. She sacrificed her happiness and future with you to protect you. That's true love. When both people love each other so much they'd give anything to protect them."

"Bobby." He turns around and Maizie is standing there. He stares at her a minute. _**Fek. She looks more bonnie than I remember.**_ She wore her long brown hair in a low side ponytail over her shoulder and no makeup except his favorite lip gloss. She wore a loose purple dress over her leggings with her brown boots. She had one of his jackets on. He saw her wedding rings still sparkling on her finger. _**She's still wearing them? Or did she take them off and put them back on when she came here? Wait, what is she doing here? Where did she come from?**_ She clears her throat and looks down. "I know you like for me to leave you alone when you come here.....but.....I needed to see you."

"Why?" Noah looks at him like he's stupid but doesn't say anything. "I mean I know why....I think. But why now? Cause of Sarah? Ye were fine to stay away when ye thought I was alone but now that someone else is interested ye want to see me? Is this some kind of jealousy thing?" She sighs and looks up at him.

"Yes! But not because I don't want you and I don't want anyone else to have you either." She walks up to him and looks into his eyes. His heart pound as he looks into her eyes for the first time in months. "Choose me. Love me. Pick me."

"What?"

"I know I have a lot of shit to work through. I know I have a whole lot of flaws. And I've hurt you more times than I want to admit. I've done a lot of wrong. But I can guarantee she won't love you as much as I do."

"How? How can you promise that?"

"Because no one can love anyone like I love you. Even when I'm not with you I know exactly what you would say to make me feel better. I know the face you would make or the joke you would tell. I dream of you every night....in a lot of ways." She blushes, he tries not to smile. "There were times where I swear my dream was so real I could smell your body wash or feel your lips against mine. Without you, even in Ireland, everything felt so cold without you. I feel like my heart, my soul is missing. And that's because it's with you. I was so scared to let you have any part of me. But I'm not scared to let you in or have every part of me anymore...because you already do. You have more of me than I have of myself. But I'm not scared of you having it. I'm scared of living the rest of my life without you. But most of all this time when I thought it might be what I think it is I came home and found out. And then came here to tell you." He looked at her confused. 

"Tell me what?" She pulls a picture out of her pocket and hands it to him. _**A sonogram.**_ She smiles gently.

"Bobby....we're going to be parents. I'm 19 weeks. I told them not to tell me what it was beforehand if I was." He looked at the picture and back at Maizie and back to the picture. He looked at Noah who's standing there smiling. He shrugs. He looks back at Maizie. His eyes started to sting.

"Yer....pregnant?" She nods. "We're...gonna be parents?" She nods again, smiling. 

"We're having a baby, Bobby." He hugged her tightly, making her laugh. He looked at her.

"Who else knows?"

"Me, you, Ainsley, my mum and now Noah." He smiles.

"Ye waited fer me? Ye waited to say anything until I knew?" She nods. He didn't hold back the tears this time.

"I saw you at the airport with Sarah and the others. I was who Gary was looking at and why Noah hugged you. I went to the doctor today to find out if I was. See look at the date. September 14th." He looks at Noah.

"Mate, we're having a baby! I'm gonna be a dad!" Noah runs over and hugs him.

"Congratulations Bobby!! I'm so happy for you!" He turns to Maizie and hugs her. "Congratulations Maizie!" Bobby gasps.

"What about yer birth control?! Can't that hurt it??" She smiles.

"I got it taken out today. The doctor said everything looked perfect. No issues with me or the baby." He smiles and hugs her again.

"We're gonna parents, lass." She sniffles.

"I know...I was there for that." He laughs and looks at her.

"Alright, smartass." She shrugs.

"Hey, I've got a lot of attitude to catch up on." 

"Ye got yerself to blame fer that one. But back to that later." He looks at Noah. "Can ye give us a minute?" 

"I'll go ahead and head to your flat. I need to call Gary and tell him I made it alright anyway." He smiles and walks away leaving them alone. Maizie looked at him nervously. He sighs and looks at his parents graves and backs at her. She gives him a gentle smile and takes his hand. She leads him right in front of their graves.

"Maw, Da...you're going to be grandparents. So I hope you'll help us look out for this one. Especially if they turn out to be like their daddy.....or brother." He looks at her and sees the pain on her face. He pulls her in and hugs her. She sniffles. "Promise me no matter what happens between us that we'll still be a family? We don't have to be together but I want our child to still feel like we're a family. I don't want them to worry about mum and dad being in the same room." He kisses the top of her head.

"I promise they'll never have to feel like that with us." For a few minutes he just holds her. So much pain and joy pounded through his veins. His feelings grew even more confusing. Eventually he pulls back and looks at her. "Let's go tell Olly. He'll want to see ye too. He missed ye." She smiles faintly.

"I missed him too." Back at the flst Bobby walks in and sees Sarah, Noah and Oliver sitting in the living room. Sarah frowns when she sees Maizie behind him.

"Really? Now all of a sudden you want to come back now that he's moving on? Wow. I took you for a lot of things, but never the pathetic jealous type." Bobby frowns at her.

"Sarah! Drop it! Do not talk to her like that! I don't care if ye hate each other.....well I care a bit but that's not the point. Yer both adults now act like it." She scoffs and crosses her arms. "Now we need to talk to Olly. I don't think ye want to be here fer this one."

"Why not?" He rubs his neck.

"It really really complicates things. Or it might solve everything. Dinnae ken." 

"If it involves us and her then I'm staying." Bobby looks at Noah who shrugs.

"Might as well, mate. Two birds one stone." He sighs and looks at Maizie. She gives him a small smile and nods. He looks at Oliver and smiles.

"Olly.....ye'll never guess what I'm about to tell ye."

"Yer back together?" He facepalms himself.

"What? No. Did ye listen to the this little conversation at all? Are ye even paying attention? Yer gonna fail the pop quiz." Maizie laughs and quickly covers her mouth. Oliver looks at him confused. "Inside joke. With Sasha." He looks at Maizie. She blushes. Noah leans forward.

"About that....why Sasha? Surely you could of thought of a better name."

"I was gonna use Sophia cause of this lass I took care of in London but Bobby met her and knows she was mt favorite. So he would've figured it out too quickly." Olly looks at her confused.

"Why a fake name at all? Why not just be ye? We all know he doesn't hate ye." Sarah goes to say something but Bobby cuts her off.

"Are we forgetting we're still trying to tell Olly something?" They all got quiet and looked at him. He couldn't contain his smile. "Olly.....we're having a baby. We're gonna be parents!!" Oliver beams and jumps up and hugs him.

"Congratulations, mate!!! Ohmygod!!! This is amazing!!!" He turns to Maizie and hugs her tightly.

"Oi, not too tight now. That's my kid in there." Maizie laughs. Bobby looks at Sarah who is looking down. Noah looks between them. 

"Hey, why don't we go make some phone calls and give these two a minute." Maizie's smile fades as she looks at Sarah.

"Absolutely. Take all the time you want." She takes Noah's hand and Oliver puts an arm around her as they go outside. Bobby tried to ignore the jealousy he felt seeing Maizie hold Noah's hand. He clears his throat and sits down.

"So....."

"So....."

"This is a really stupid question but I'm gonna ask anyway. How are ye feeling?" She gives him a soft smile.

"I knew you were gonna say that." She clears her throat and sighs. "It's hard to describe what I'm feeling. Nervous, anxious and disappointed seem to be the big ones right now." He nods slowly.

"I can understand why. This whole thing kind of just blew up." She raises her eyebrows looking him over.

"I think something else blew up a few months ago making all of this blow up now." He blushes and laughs.

"Hey, don't judge me." She gives him a small laugh.

"I guess I just have a lot of questions if you're up to answer them." 

"Of course. I'll answer each one the best I can." She nods.

"Tell me about the phone call earlier."

"Long story short my boss and her mum used to date when they were our age. He wouldn't commit so she left a d met Maizie's dad. Her parents got divorced when her little sister graduated secondary school. Maizie found out months ago that Big Jonno was her mum's first love. We wanted to get them together ferever but just couldn't come up with a good time. So when her mum told me she wanted to give me a birthday present I saw an opportunity. After I got home who I thought was Sasha called me and it turned out to be Maizie. I didn't know it was her because she never gave me any clues on who she was and every time I mentioned anything about my life she acted like it was the first time she heard it. I was just as surprised to hear her voice when I answered the phone." She sighs.

"So I'm guessing you don't know who you're choosing."

"I'm sorry, Sarah. I know I said I'd choose ye and I honestly thought it would be that easy at the time. But it's kind of hard to explain."

"Can you please try?" He sighs and nods.

"Basically my relationship with Maizie has always been difficult. There's always something happening between us or someone close to us so we haven't really had much time to just be us. But I have been madly in love with her since I met her. And I do still love her a lot. And now it's weird because we're having a kid together. But when she left in May....I hadn't felt a pain like that before. It still hurts knowing what happened. And I get why she did it but at the same time I don't. So I have really confusing feelings about her. I love her and I'm happy we're having a kid but I don't know if I can trust her not to hurt me. And with ye....I really really like ye. I love being with ye and spending time with ye. We never have a dull moment and we always have so much fun together......and yer really good at snogging." She smiles and swats his arm. "Ow! I'm just saying that's a factor. Anyway, being with ye is just easy. Ye tell me how he feel when ye feel it and ye don't have all these confusing things going on. It's simple. I like ye and ye like me. Yer gorgeous and funny and smart. There is so much I like about ye. So I have to decide if I want to be with someone I have a lot of deep history with or someone new and see where it goes."

"So....speaking of the baby....I assume you'll share custody. But where do you see me on that picture? Do you see me meeting them and helping you out when you have them?" He thinks a minute.

"Honestly I can't even picture myself with it." She smiles.

"I guess I can understand that. Well do you see a future with me? Like moving in together, getting married, having kids with me?" He blushes and clears his throat.

"I, uh...I do not see the marriage and kids thing....maybe the moving in thing but not past that. Is that something ye want?"

"Well, yeah. I want a marriage and family and everything. I thought you did too....I mean you married Maizie and you're having a kid with her...."

"That's a little different. She's the first one I ever saw any of this with. She's the only one I've wanted any of this with. I'm still new to this kind of commitment. So trying to picture it with someone else just feels weird. I'm sorry. I should've explained that before I let ye think about things like that."

"So you don't know if you want to pick up where you left off with her or start over with me. And you don't want a future with me but you want one with her? It sounds like you made your decision." He looked at her confused.

"Well, no. I really like ye, Sarah. I-" She holds a hand up, making him stop. She closes her eyes, a tear slipping down her cheek. 

"You like me but you love her. You don't want to build a life with me but you do her. You're having a kid with her but don't want one with me. Bobby...you have to see what I'm seeing. You've made your choice you just don't realize it yet. You want her. And I don't blame you. She's lovely. I didn't stand a chance last time and I was foolish to think I stood a chance this time." She stands up and looks at him, still crying. "Don't let her go this time. If she leaves find her." He stands up and looks into her eyes, his own eyes watering.

"But Sarah....I'm not ready to day goodbye yet. I really like ye...." She smiles sadly and puts a hand on his cheek.

"I know. And I like you too. But I want a future and you don't see that with me. And you love her. You'd be stupid to choose a possible relationship over a life you've already started building together." He feels tears sliding down his cheek. She gently wipes them away. He hugs her tightly. 

"Don't go yet." She sobs softly into his shoulder.

"I have to. That baby is gonna need you. You'll be fine. She came back. She came home. I know you love her and she loves you. So love her. Love your baby. I'll find my love someday." He looks into her eyes and kisses her passionately. She takes a step back, breaking their embrace. Goodbye Bobby. I hope you two live a long and happy life together." 

"Sarah...." She turns and walks out the door, shutting it behind her. The others walk in and look at him sadly. "I need some time." He turns and goes to his room, locking it. _**Why do I feel like this? Why does this hurt so much?**_


	22. Emotional Rollercoaster

The next three days Bobby doesn't say much to anyone. He doesn't lock himself in his room all day but he doesn't join in much on the conversation. Olly looks at him worriedly.

"Mate, are ye okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"Ye aren't yerself...ye haven't been since Sarah left." He clears his throat.

"I'm fine, really. We wanted different things. It what was best." Noah looked at him confused.

"Wait....like what?"

"She wanted a future with me and I couldn't give her that. She wants basically what Maizie has."

"But Maizie doesn't have what Sarah thinks she has. You two still aren't together.....which we're kind of confused about." He sighs.

"Look....I don't know what to say. I'm not ready to just pick up where we left off." Oliver looks down at his hands.

"Bobby, did ye love her?" He looked at Oliver for a long time.

"Dinnae ken. I think maybe I was starting to." He nods.

"I guess that's why ye haven't exactly talked to Maizie much. Which we understand and we don't blame ye...but I think ye need to talk this out with her. Not to get back together but because...she's miserable. Not because ye aren't together, although she still wants that, but because she ruined yer next chance at happiness. She blames herself fer yer unhappiness. She's kind of beating herself up over it."

"I am happy though." Noah shakes his head.

"No, you're not. You should be but you're not. You haven't been the same and we're starting to worry about you...I mean whatever you decide we've got your back. But I think you weren't ready for a decision to be made and her leaving like that really hurt you. I don't think you loved her but I think you were starting to have real feelings for her. Olly's right. Maizie is blaming herself for everything you're feeling. She feels so guilty for making Sarah walk away. She even wishes she didn't come home at this point. She even tried to talk to Sarah." Bobby looks down, his leg bouncing with nervous energy. Oliver clears his throat.

"Fer the sake of Maizie in general just try and talk to her. I'm starting to worry about her too. She feels so bad she hurt ye...again again." He looks out the window. 

"I don't know what to say. I don't know how to talk to her right now. I don't want to end up yelling at her." Noah and Oliver look at each other. Bobby stands up. "I'm gonna go try and clear my head. If Maizie asks....just tell her I went to be alone."

"Yer not gonna tell us where yer going?"

"Maizie will know." He turns and leaves, going to the spot in the forest. He sits on the ground and watches the waterfall crash down at the bottom before it smooths out with the rest of the water. _**Why am I so hurt about this? Isn't this what I've wanted fer months? Maizie came home and we're starting a family....sort of. Why can't I just be with her? I love her as much as I did then....but everything feels so different. Will it ever go back to the way it was?**_

"Hi." He hears Maizie behind him. He quickly wipes the tears away. "I'm gonna go in a second so you can be alone. I just came to tell you...I met with a lawyer today. I'm going to go ahead and file for divorce. I tried calling Sarah to tell her but she won't answer." He turns and looks at her confused.

"What?" She looks at her feet.

"Bobby, you're not happy. And it's my fault. So I'm going to do whatever it takes for you to be happy again. I'm sorry I messed things up with her. I didn't stop to think how much she meant to you." She tried to hide the pain on her face. "Anyway, I'll let you go back to your alone time. But I'll need a few days alone, please. It's going to take time to do all the paperwork and stuff and I don't want to be bothered." She turns to leave.

"Maizie. Wait." She stops but doesn't turn around.

"No, it's okay. I'm fine. We'll still be a family, our baby will just get a bonus mum. It's okay Bobby. Call her." She walks away. He saw her wrap her arms around herself like she was trying to hold herself together. He stood up and ran after her.

"Maizie!" She turns around and looks him.

"Bobby, please don't make this harder. We need to do this."

"But why?"

"What do you mean why? Because you're in love with her and I ruined it by showing up. I didn't realize how you felt about her and I came here and messed it all up. I hurt you again...this time unintentionally. I hate being the reason you're unhappy. She made you happy so she's who you need to be with."

"Maizie....I....I don't think I want a divorce. Yer not why I'm unhappy...I am. I never worked out any of my feelings before I started talking to her. And then I started covering up everything I was feeling with feelings fer her. And then ye came back and I realized I never worked through anything these past few months. I've just been ignoring all of it. I still love ye, more than anything. I just don't know how to sort this all out. I've never done this part. I don't know what yer supposed to do. I don't want to be with ye right now, but only cause I can't give ye the attention and love ye deserve right now. My feelings are too mixed up to be who ye deserve." She looks at him confused.

"Bobby...I don't get what you want right now. I'm getting all kinds of mixed signals. I just want to know if I should file or not. If you want her that's okay. If she makes you happy that's all that matters. I'll give you a divorce. Don't hesitate just because we're having a baby." He sighs and looks into her eyes.

"I don't want a divorce. Things are just really mixed up right now. I'm not hesitating cause of the baby....I'm hesitating because I love ye. But I'm hesitating because I'm scared ye'll leave again. I almost didn't make it this time. I...I can't go through that again. I love ye so much but I can't keep doing this back and forth thing. I need to know yer staying fer good this time. We're either doing this or we're not. So either we stick it out and actually commit to this or we get a divorce and co-parent. But I need to know that if I commit ye do too. It can't be one-sided anymore. We both have to be in this one-hundred percent. I can't be hurt like that again." He saw something change in her eyes. She takes a deep breath and takes a step forward.

"I'm sorry I never trusted you enough to love me. But I'm done running and I'm done hiding. It never helps it only makes things worse. I'm not hiding from anything or anyone anymore. I'm not running from myself or you anymore. If you'll have me I would love nothing more than to keep being your wife. I want to show you how much I love you and never let you doubt it again. I don't want to be like mum and Big Jonno. I don't want us to realize twenty-six years later we should've been together all along." He smiles.

"I mean it could be eighteen years instead of twenty-six." She smiles.

"That's not funny." He shrugs.

"I'll work on it." She hugs him tightly, sniffling.

"I'm so sorry. I swear it wasn't easy for me to leave. I must've gone in and out of the room twenty times before I made myself turn around and go. Bruno was so confused."

"Where is Bruno?"

"At Ainsley's." She looks up at him. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Can you shave?" He laughs.

"Ye don't like it?" She scrunches her nose.

"Not yet. Maybe in a few years." He leans down and kisses her softly. She giggles and pulls away. "It tickles too." He smiles and rest his head against hers.

"I guess I better go shave then."

"Can I stay at yer flat tonight? Between Noah and Ainsley and Mum and Big Jonno I do not get sleep good over there.. I swear it's like living in a strip club." He laughs and puts an arm around her.

"I think we can make arrangements. Hey, wait. Noah and Ainsley????"

"Oh yeah, they're a thing now." 

"I mean I'm glad but why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Good question. Let's go ask him....and can we stop at the supermarket and get stuff for cupcakes?"

"I've got stuff fer chocolate cupcakes at home." She squeals.

"Yes! No one's cupcakes come close to yours. I tried many cupcakes while I was gone and it wasn't happening." He laughs.

"Good. Then I must be doing something right." They make it back to Bobby's and after he shaves they go straight to the kitchen. She sits on the counter and tells him all about Ireland.

"I even helped Rocco with his food truck. Oh! And I met up with Shannon!"

"How is the Poker Queen?"

"Good. She has a new lad, Matt. He's really nice. I think they have a real shot of it. By the way she sends her love and misses you." He looks at her confused.

"Shannon said that?"

"Okay well she didn't say that. She said to tell you she's been craving your salted caramel cookies. And then she smiled. So translating it from Shannon language to normal language she misses you." He smiles.

"That sounds more like her." Maizie dips a finger in the icing and eats it. "Hey! Don't touch! Yer gonna mess up perfection." She laughs.

"But it's so good!" She waits until he turns around before she grabs the icing and runs into the living room. He smiles and chases after her. 

"Maizie! Stop eating the icing!"

"But the baby wants it!" He catches up to her and grabs her arm pulling her to him. Her eyes gleamed with mischief. She rubs some icing on his nose.

"That's rude." He rubbed his nose against her cheek spreading icing on it, making her laugh. He looks into her eyes. "I really missed ye, lass. My whole world went upside down when ye were gone. Maw was right when she said ye were my other half."

"She said that?"

"Aye. It was when we broke up the first time. She saw how much I was struggling without ye. She told me yer my other half and I was yers." Maizie smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"She was right. I kept feeling like I forgot something but it was just me missing you." He leans down and kisses her softly. After a minute he pulls away and rest his head against hers. "I love you."

"I love ye too."

"Well Olly, isn't this a nice sight to see?" They look up and see Olly, Noah, Ainsley and Bruno walking in. Bruno runs up to Bobby and jumps on him.

"Hey buddy! I missed ye too." He scratches Bruno's ears. He looks at Maizie and takes the icing. "Now excuse me, I have some cupcakes to finish. Ye better hope ye left enough icing." He goes into the kitchen and gets a wet paper towel and wipes his nose. Maizie walks in smiling. "Stay far away from that icing, lass. I'll whoop yer ass." She bites her lip.

"Ooh, is daddy gonna spank me?" His jaw drops and he stares at her.

"I have so many confusing feelings about that statement." She winks at him. He walks up to her and gently wipes her cheek. "I don't know if I should be turned on or not." She looks into his eyes.

"You know what this icing thing reminds me of?"

"What?"

"The baking challenge." She bites her lip and blushes. His jaw drops again.

"Yer not playing fair right now." She leans into his ear and whispers.

"I like to play dirty. Has it been as long for you as it has been for me? I have an awful lot of tension I need to release." His grip on her hips tightened. He leans his head against hers.

"So I got some new sheets, wanna go see what they look like?" She laughs as he picks her up. He looks at the others sitting in the living room. "Don't touch the cupcakes and ye might want to turn the telly up really loud." He goes into his room and kisses her. She sighs and leans into their kiss. She quickly undresses him, admiring his body.

"Fuck, I missed you." He smiles and undresses her.

"I missed ye too, lass." She looks into his eyes, making his heart flutter. She put a hand on his cheek and kisses him softly. He holds her close, gently laying her down and laying beside her. He kisses her as he runs his hand down her body. She rests her head in the crook of his neck, one arm under her hand on his bicep. Her other hand rested on his side. Her breathing quickened as her moans grew louder. 

"Fuck, Bobby." He bites his lip and moves his hand faster. It didn't take long for her to climax. She immediately pushes him on his back and gets on him. She looks into his eyes as she sits down on him, making them both moan. She bites her lip. "I really want to take this slow and romantic but that's definitely not happening." He smiles and leans up and kisses her.

"Then go fer it." She smiles and starts moving. She moves quickly, they're rough and passionate. Their touches and their kisses urgent. Her arms wrapped around his neck she looks into his eyes. He saw all the vulnerability in her eyes. "I love ye, Maizie. Always have and always will." Her eyes watered and she nods.

"I love you too, Bobby. More than anything." He wipes a tear away and pulls her to him, kissing her. His hand tangled in her hair, her nails digging into his back. He loved the way she said his name and the feeling of them together again.

"Fek, Maizie. I'm gonna come." She moans against their kiss.

"Me too." Their sweaty bodies fused together, their hearts and souls becoming one. She digs his nails into him hard as she cries out his name and comes. He turns them over and thrusts hard. He finally comes.

"Fek, Maizie." For a minute he stays there, breathing hard looking into her eyes. "That was definitely better than before." She smiles.

"Make up sex with you is always so much better." He smiles and lays down next to her. She gently runs a nail along his jaw and down his neck, across his collar bone. It sent shivers through his body. He smiles and takes her hand.

"Stop it. Yer turning me on again." She smiles.

"I'm sorry...it's just surreal being here with you. I thought about you all the time and I couldn't touch you or kiss you. I couldn't see you or hear you. And now I can. It almost feels like a dream." He smiles and kisses her. She wraps a leg around his waist and deepens their kiss.

"Ye ready fer round two?"

"Oh fuck yes." He smiles and gets on top of her. He goes slower this time, absorbing every second they're intimate. He soft moans and whimpers making it hard to think. He fought against himself trying to stay like this with her for as long as he could. **_Before she leaves again...._** She gently moves his face so he's looking into her eyes. Her expression softened. "I'm not going anywhere. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life here with you." He saw the honesty in her eyes but his fears didn't go away. "Hey, I'm yours and you're mine, remember?" He smiles and kisses her, pinning her thigh back and thrusting harder. Her grip on his arm tightened and she dug her nails into him. She wraps her leg around his waist. He looks at her tattoo and bites her lip.

"Fek, I definitely missed seeing that." She smiled and blushes. 

"I missed feeling you inside of me." She kisses him again, gently biting his lip. "You feel so good, I want you to fuck me harder." He moans.

"Fek, lass. Keep talking like that and it won't take long." She smiles.

"Good. Then make me come." He pinned her other leg back and thrusted hard and fast, making her come within minutes. She digs her nails into his back and bites him hard, making him come. He laid down next to her breathing hard. She cuddled into him. He noticed a new tattoo on her back, the wings spreading to her shoulder blades.

"Ye got a new tattoo."

"I did. Do you know what is it?"

"A Phoenix."

"Yup."

"Why a Phoenix? Harry Potter?"

"A bit. But mostly because Phoenixes represents rebirth. Like rising above and starting fresh. I got it shortly after I left..."

"What made ye decide to get it?" 

"A few days after I left....I ran into Alex.....and beat the shit out of him. I felt amazing and on top of the world. I wanted something to remember that feeling. But shortly after that I heard he found Noah. But Noah took him down too. After that it confirmed for me I had to leave. I was still in London then so as soon as I heard that I went to Ireland. At that point it wasn't because of fear. I was no longer scared of him. At that point is was about protecting everyone." He smiles at her.

"Ye beat him up?" She nods proudly.

"Sure did. I fought him hard, he still got me in a few places but I really let him have it. That's when I ran into Rocco. Leave it to the universe to make Rocco be the one to pull me off of Alex before I beat him to death." He raises his eyebrows.

"This gets better and better." She stretches and gets up.

"I'll tell you more over cupcakes." He laughs and gets up. After they get dressed and finish the cupcakes everyone stands in the kitchen eating them. Bobby smiles when he sees Maizie's face while she eats a cupcake. _**How could someone ever hurt her? Especially her own dad. I wonder what happened. Is he still alive? I wonder what happened to Alex...**_

"Hey, lass?" She looks at him mid bite. 

"Aye?" He raises his eyebrows. 

"Moving on...can I ask ye something about Alex?" Everyone goes still. She looks at him for a minute.

"You want to know how he died?" He blushes and looks down. "Bobby, it's okay to ask. I told you nothing about him scares me anymore. Bobby look at me." He meets her eyes. "Do you remember when we went to visit my dad?" Ainsley looked at her and frowned. Bobby nods. "Do you remember when I told him there was nothing he could ever do to make up for what he did?" He nods again. She's quiet a moment, letting him think. Realization hits him. He looks back at her.

"Wait. Ye mean yer dad....and Alex....." She smiles and nods.

"I won't go into details but he got hurt because he was trying to make up for what he did by freeing me."

"I thought he was dying."

"He is. It seems every week is a new complication."

"Do ye still talk to him?" She looks down.

"I have a few times. It still puts me in a tough position. On the one hand I am extremely touched he would do something so dangerously stupid to free me. But on the other hand...." She meets his eyes.

"Ye don't have to say it if yer not ready." She smiles and walks over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. Ainsley glances between them.

"Hey, Zi?" Maizie turns and looks at her. "I actually have some questions about Dad. Um, I think I have this memory of when we were kids. But it could be a dream. I think we were four and seven." Maizie freezes as the blood drains from her face. "Did that happen?" Maizie didn't say anything, she just stared. "Are you mad at me?" Ainsley looked at Bobby. He clears his throat. 

"She's not mad at ye, I do know that."

"Well what about my dream-memory thing?" Maizie looks around at everyone, picking at her nails. She starts pacing and chewing her thumbnail. Bobby gently takes her hand.

"Hey, tell me what's going on in that beautiful head of yers." She looks into his eyes.

"I'm scared I failed."

"Ye didn't fail, I promise." He looks at Ainsley. "Maybe ye need to go talk this out privately fer a bit. We'll be right here fer both of ye when ye get done, okay?" Maizie nods and hugs him tightly for a moment. She looked into his eyes. "Hey, it's gonna be alright. Ye can do this." He kisses her deeply. She sighs and leans into. After a moment she pulls apart, her cheeks flushed. She smiles and takes Ainsley's hand, leading her outside. Bobby turns to Olly and Noah. "So how are ye both feeling about this Ainsley and Hope thing? Are we good?" Oliver smiles.

"Duh, we've been hanging out haven't we? I like Noah. He knows I'll kick his ass if he hurts her. And Gary too." Noah laughs and looks at Oliver before looking back at Bobby.

"Yeah, this group dynamic has always been pretty weird so honestly it doesn't bother me a bit that they used to date. Or that he's dating my ex. At this point I don't think there's anything that can surprise any of us much." Bobby smiles.

"Good point. I'm just glad ye lads aren't making me choose between my best mate and brother." Noah leans forward.

"Okay, but when you name your baby think about who keeps you finding you so you can talk out your thoughts. Who has your back." Bobby laughs.

"Are ye suggesting we name it Noah if it's a boy?"

"Yes, yes I am." Oliver shakes his head.

"Nah, mate. Make it Oliver. He can be Olly and then I can go back to Oliver."

"She said before to Seanmhair that she wanted Benjamin." Noah frowns.

"Sean who?" Bobby smiles.

"I think the name she used fer her was Nana. Our grandmother, my mum's mum." Noah nods.

"Ooh, I get it now. That means grandmother. What does she call your grandfather?"

"Papa I think. Ye know we need to actually go see them soon. We didn't go last summer or this summer and Seanmhair is probably pretty pissed." Oliver shrugs.

"I'd be down fer that. Get a nice break in."

"We gotta make sure Maizie wants to go though. Can ye fly when yer pregnant?" Noah nods.

"Yeah, of course. I think it's when they hit the third trimester they can't fly."

"Good to know. I'll ask Maizie when she comes back with Ainsley."

"Ask me what?" Maizie and Ainsley turn the corner holding hands. Bobby and Noah smile at them. Ainsley goes up to Noah and he kisses her cheek. Maizie comes up to Bobby and he gives her a quick peck. She turns back to the counter and starts eating another cupcake. Bobby wraps his arms around her waist.

"We were talking about trying to go see Seanmhair and Seanair in Jamaica."

"You mean Nana and Papa?" He smiles.

"Aye. Nana and Papa."

"That sounds fun, when?"

"Dinnae ken. We'd have to work it out. But soon. We didn't go last summer or this summer. Seanmhair, I mean Nana, is probably pissed we haven't visited." She thinks a minute.

"We have a doctors appointment next week. We get to find out if it's a boy or girl."

"Noah suggested we name it Noah if it's a boy." Maizie shakes her head.

"Nope, sorry. Benjamin is definitely going to be in it somewhere. I was thinking maybe Benjamin Reginald maybe." Bobby looks at her.

"After my dad?" She nods.

"He's the one that made me realize I was pregnant. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't be here." Bobby steps back and holds his hands up.

"Uh, what now?" She smiles and puts down her cupcake.

"A couple days before I came back I had this dream. It's gonna be very weird so bare with me. I was sitting alone on this beach in Ireland. This guy comes and sits next to me. At first I thought it was Bobby because he looked like Bobby but older. Then he turns to me and said it was nice to finally meet the love of his sons life. That's when I knew he was your dad. Of course I started crying in my dream and hugged him. He smells like sandalwood and cinnamon. Anyway, I asked why he was there. He said he was there to tell me to go home. I asked why and if something was wrong. He said that something very big was about to happen to me and I needed to share this journey with Bobby. I told him he kind of hates me and he laughed and assured me he didn't. I said you did and that you were now with someone named Sarah. I'm gonna skip over that part...moving on. He said that the next stage in our lives was too important to do alone. He said I needed to be here with Bobby so that _we_ can face this part together. He said regardless that Bobby would make sure that the both of us would be taken care of. At first I thought he meant me and Bobby. He told me James was hoping to for a little sister and then he did that little nose thing Bobby does. You know when he taps the tip of his nose when he doesn't want to give away what he's saying but he wants you to figure it out. I thought maybe James was just talking about in general. But then he stood up. I asked him to stay because I'd never gotten to meet him and I want to know him. So we took a walk around the beach and he told me several stories about you two when you were wee lads. Which reminds me I need to go through some pictures." Bobby stares at her a minute, his eyes stinging. He clears his throat.

"Ye met him? Ye got to talk to him?" She nods.

"You really are just like him. You look like him too. And you have the same laugh. By the way he said that you-" She points to Oliver. "Need to go back to uni and that yer mum is very upset you haven't gone back yet. Word for word he said if you don't I have Maw's blessing to smack you upside the head until you do." Oliver smiles. "And he said you-" She pointed to Bobby, she hesitated. "He said you need to learn to heal yourself. He said you're still blaming yourself for everything and you need to stop before you push yourself too far. He said other stuff but we can talk about that later." Bobby looks out the window at the chair he sat in when he saw him. **_I swear Da, ye know everything. How am I gonna do this part without ye? I don't know how to be a dad._** He looks at Maizie and smiles.

"Did he tell ye about James?" She smiles brightly at him, meeting his eyes. "Ye got to see him?" She nods and wipes a tear away. "He's perfect isn't he?" She walked up to him and hugged him. He rested his cheek on the top of her head and held onto her tight. 

"He's so beautiful. You were right about him having my eyes. He called me Mumma. I got to hold him. He had your laugh too. He also has the same tickle spot as you." She looks up at Bobby. For a long moment they don't say anything, they just look into each others eyes. He kisses her deeply as he tangles a hand in her hair. One of her hands held onto the collar of his shirt while the other one rested on his side. He pulls away and hugs her tightly. 

"When we find out if it's a boy or a girl can I bake ye a cake that says what it is and surprise ye?" She looks at him and smiles.

"You want to do a gender reveal cake?" He nods.

"I haven't made one of those before and I really want to try it."

"Okay. Oh! What if we invite the others to come?!" She gasps. "I haven't told the others."

"Weren't ye supposed to be doing that the day ye came back?" She blushes. He looks at Noah and Oliver, Oliver looks away whistling while Noah turns to Ainsley.

"So I was reading this book the other day and-"

"Were ye all listening to me and Sarah? What happened to private conversation?" Maizie slowly steps back. "Are ye telling me ye all were eavesdropping? That was a very intimate and private conversation." Maizie avoids his eyes, pulling on the sleeves of her long sleeve shirt.

"I need to go call Lottie and Gary. They'll be upset if they hear it from someone else." She turns and walks away. Oliver looks at Bobby unamused.

"Ye really are that stupid."

"What? I have a right to be upset! Ye were eavesdropping on a very private conversation. There was a reason I didn't tell ye what was said." Oliver rolls his eyes and walks away.

"Whatever, it's yer life." He looks at Noah who looks down.

"I'm gonna go help Maizie find her phone. She's been pretty forgetful lately." Another surge of jealousy surges through him. He must have shown some sign of it because Noah looks at Ainsley. "Maybe you should go." She looks at Bobby annoyed and kisses Noah's cheek before she turns and walks away. Noah doesn't say anything, he just plays with a cupcake wrapper. Bobby stares out the window trying to figure out his feelings. "I didn't know it still bothered you...I'm sorry." Bobby doesn't say anything. "For what it's worth, that conversation is what made Maizie realize what you wanted and your happiness was more important. That's when she decided she needed to let you go so you could be happy....regardless of how she feels about you. That's when she first brought up getting a divorce." He gets up and walks away. Bobby hears the front door shut a minute later. He cleans up the kitchen from the cupcakes and washes dishes, trying to not think about anything...and failing. Maizie came back in the kitchen with shoes on.

"Hey...I'm gonna go home. I'm really tired so I'm gonna go rest." She turns and leaves without another word. Oliver turns the corner and stares at him.

"What Olly?"

"Yer stupid is what."

"Why? Cause I'm mad ye snooped in my private life?"

"No. Ye have every right to be mad about that. Yer stupid because the woman that loves ye more than anything had to hear how much ye cared about another woman. Do ye think it was easy fer her to see ye heartbroken over another woman? She is the one carrying yer child, she is the one married to ye and yet she tried to step aside so ye could be with Sarah. She was willing to break her own heart to heal yers....just like ye were willing to do fer her with Carl. Yer stupid cause yer not seeing what ye have right in front of ye. We both know that there is not one person like her on this planet. She is the exact girl almost every man wants and she chose ye. I don't know why because somewhere along the line ye stopped appreciating her fer her. Before she left ye supported her and loved her but ye stopped appreciating her. I don't know how or why or when. But I know the pain in her eyes every time Sarah gets mentioned. And I see the guilt on her face when ye start going off about Sarah. Ye said ye would never be the one to crush her but ye are. Ever since she came home ye've done nothing except make her feel worthless. She's cried continuously everyday since that day...because she hates she's why ye aren't happy. So either call Sarah or call Maizie but make yer choice, mate. But stop leading Maizie on if Sarah is who ye want." He walked out the flat leaving Bobby completely alone. He finishes the dishes and goes to the room. He looks at his bed, the duvet all tangled up from when they slept together. He grabbed his keys and drove to Ainsley's. After he knocks he waits a minute. Big Jonno answers the door and glares at him. He smacks Bobby upside the head. 

"Ow! What was that fer?"

"Cause yer a feking idiot and I'm trying to knock some sense into ye." He smacks him again.

"Fek! Will ye stop doing that?!" Noah comes to the door and pats Big Jonno on the shoulder.

"Oi! Jonno, ease up mate. You're gonna cause brain damage if you aren't careful. I've got this. Susan was looking for you." He points at Bobby.

"Don't be stupid like me....feking numpty." Noah shakes his head and shuts the door.

"What are you doing here?" Bobby looks away, avoiding his eyes. "Look if you aren't here to talk then I'm sorry but I won't get her. Keep thinking what you want about us but she's one of my best mates and I care about her just as much as I do you. I'm not bringing her out here if you're going to keep hurting her. I don't care if you still hate me or want to hate me, I can take it. She can't. She's strong but how you treat her effects her far deeper than she's willing to admit. So you need to decide what you want to say and if it's worth me going in there." Ainsley opens the door and glares at Bobby before looking at Noah.

"Babe, she's throwing up again. She won't let any of us in there." 

"Okay, I'm coming." He looks at Bobby. "I'll be back in a minute."

"Is it Maizie?"

"Yeah, she gets morning sickness at night. She doesn't like people seeing her."

"So why is she asking fer ye then?" Noah frowns and crosses his arms.

"Because her husband is being a fucking knob and crushing her because of another woman. Her husband stupidly gave his heart to someone else while he was still married. Now excuse me, I'm needed inside." He walks inside past Ainsley. She looks at him a moment before stepping out and shutting the door.

"Are ye here to yell at me too?"

"No. I want to but I won't. I know Oliver told you off and no Jonno and Noah did too. I want to know when you got in the car what went through your mind. Why did you end up here?"

"Cause I feel bad about hurting her. I want her to come home. I know I don't deserve her to come home, but it feels weird when she's not there. She's the warmth in my life. Without her it's cold."

"That's a strange way to treat someone you care that much about then."

"I know. I didn't mean to make her feel like that. I was mostly embarressed that they heard that. I mean yeah it felt like an invasion of privacy but they always invade my privacy. I was embaressed they knew how I felt about her....and that I cried." He blushes. She sighs.

"You're one of those lads. Wow she can pick em. Look, Bobby, for one reason or another she chose to love you. I used to think you were a perfect match and adore you."

"But you don't anymore?"

"Not really, no. Do you think she doesn't know she fucked up? Do you think she doesn't know how bad she hurt you _and_ herself? She tortures herself everyday about and the last thing she needs is for you to rub it in her face she let you fall for someone else. Did she do that with Carl?"

"No."

"So why do it to her? I can't tell you the extent of it but when she left it damn near killed her. You may think she doesn't hurt deeply anymore but you're wrong. Yes, she's strong. The strongest person I've ever known in my entire life. But you are the only bullet that can shatter her bulletproof glass. So don't shoot." He sniffles and clears his throat. He turns and leaves. When he makes it to the car he hears someone call his name. He turns and sees Maizie running towards him.

"What are ye doing? It's cold and ye have no shoes on! Ye need to go inside."

"I'm fine. I wanted to say I'm sorry."

"Fer what?"

"For eavesdropping....it was wrong of me. I shouldn't have let my insecurities get to me." He looks at her a minute, thinking about everything everyone said. _**I was the jerk and she's still apologizing to me. I've been the one hurting her and she still acts like she's hurting me. I'm the one causing her self destruction.**_

"I don't accept it." She looks down and nods.

"I understand."

"No, ye don't. I don't accept it cause I don't need anymore apologies from ye. I...I'm the one who should be saying sorry. I've always tried to help ye build yerself up but I'm tearing ye down. I keep punishing ye fer _my_ decisions and _my_ mistakes. And that's not fair to ye. Ye aren't the cause fer my pain anymore, I am. Sarah isn't yer fault it's mine. Ye don't control my actions, I do. So this is all on me. Stop blaming yerself and beating yerself up because I'm stupid." He looks down and sighs. "Maizie, I'm sorry. I haven't been treating ye the way ye deserve. Yer the love of my life and right now I'm not any better than Alex. Minus the physical part. But I've been awful to ye and it was wrong of me. I'm sorry. I haven't been watering our marriage like I should have. I haven't been the husband ye deserve and at this point the father our child deserves. Yer the love of my life and I fergot fer a while why I fell in love with ye. I got distracted by a pretty face and lost sight of us and why we got married in the first place. I didn't keep my vows. I left, emotionally, when things got hard. I should've fought fer us harder. I'm sorry." She wipes her face and looks down. "Why don't we take the night, only one night, and let our feelings settle. And then try again tomorrow." She wipes her nose.

"If that's what you want to do."

"Maizie, fight me." She looked up at him confused. "Not physically, but fight back. Don't do what I want just cause I want it. Fight fer what ye want. Tell me what ye want don't just stand there and do what I want. I know that Maizie is in there and that's the Maizie I fell in love with. Not the one that does anything I say because I say it. I like it when you fight back, it proves yer strong and independent. And ye are...and stubborn. That's my lass, that's who I married. I married the stubborn one who showed up at my flat one day and told me she was staying. The one who took care of my mum every time I tried to stop her cause she wanted to. The one who yelled at Gary fer crying over spilled milk." She laughs as he walks up and looks in her eyes. "I want the one who wasn't afraid to tell Lucas off fer choosing her and who tells lads off fer whistling at her. Ye had a fire in ye that I loved. I'm sorry I'm why it went away..." She hugs him. They hear clapping and cheering and look up and see everyone standing there. He laughs and rolls his eyes. She smiles and looks up at him.

"I'm coming home. And when we get home I'm taking a warm bath and then eating a cupcake and going to bed. With you. In _our_ room. In _our_ bed." He smiled at her.

"I was hoping ye'd say that." He kisses her cheek. "Now let's get ye inside before yer toes turn any pinker." She takes his hand and leads him inside. Big Jonno beams proudly.

"Looks like I did smack some sense into him. I should do that more often, especially at work." Bobby points at Ainsley.

"She's the one that got to me the most. I'm telling ye the Blackwood sisters are definitely not the ones to mess with." Maizie and Ainsley high five. Maizie sticks her tongue out at Bobby.

"We're a family of tough bitches. Get used to it." She smacks his bum and walks inside. He looks at her confused.

"What just happened?" Noah leaned in.

"I'm pretty sure she just branded you. You're not going anywhere now." Bobby rolls his eyes and gently pushes Noah's shoulder. _**I don't mind that at all.**_


	23. Their Next Adventure

The next day Bobby sits on the couch with Maizie leaning against him with Bruno at her feet. He gets a text from Gary.

_"So are you two good now?"_

_"Aye, we're back together."_

_"Somehow I don't believe you."_ He smiles and looks at Maizie. He pulls out his camera and takes a picture of her laying on him, her hand resting on her belly. He sends it to Gary. _"That doesn't mean you're together....but Lottie says that's a really cute picture."_ Bobby shakes his head smiling.

"Hey, lass?"

"Yeah?"

"Gary says he doesn't believe we're together." She sits up and smiles.

"So send a picture."

"I did. He says it doesn't mean we're together." She takes his phone and looks at the messages. She leans forward and kisses Bobby. After a minute she pulls away smiling and sends a text to Gary before handing the phone back to Bobby. He looks at the text and sees a picture of them kissing. "I like this picture." She smiles at him and blushes. She lays down on her stomach against him, her arms around his ribs and her head on his chest. "Can ye still lay down on yer tummy?" 

"Mhmm. Until it's uncomfortable or the bump gets too big." He rubs her back as they watch TV together. He looks down and sees her asleep. He takes another picture, a serious one and a silly face one. He gets another text from Gary.

_"Okay that's more believable. So what are you two up to?"_

_"Maizie's sleeping while I talk to you. Which by the way I want to talk about next week."_

_"What's next week?"_

_"Did Maizie call you yesterday? Or in the past few days?"_

_"Yeah, she called yesterday I think. Which by the way congratulations dad to be."_

_"Thanks, mate. I'm pretty excited about it."_

_"So what's next week?"_

_"On the 23rd we have an appointment to find out the sex of the baby. I'm gonna surprise her with what it is with a cake. It got brought up to have everyone there, so you and Lottie are invited to come here and find out what it is. A party I guess."_

_"You're having a gender reveal party? I've never been to one of those before."_

_"Wait, those are a thing? I mean I guess we are having one but I didn't think it was a real thing."_

_"Lmao. It's real and we'll be there. When is the party?"_

_"Saturday the 26th."_

_"We'll be there Friday."  
_

_"Sweet. Now I don't know how to do this...."_

_"Lottie and I will handle the rest. Just show up and don't tell anyone else what it is."_

_"I'm not gonna say no to that.....are we supposed to bring presents?"_

_"Not to a gender reveal. You bring presents to a baby shower which isn't until the third trimester."_

_"How do you know this stuff?"_

_"I am typing it word for word as Lottie tells me."_

_"Lmao. We're gonna be great dads. We have no clue about babies and pregnancy."_

_"Right. Hey so Lottie wanted to talk to you about something."_

_"Okay....through you or is she gonna text me?"_

_"She gave me a 'are you stupid?' look when I asked so I assume me."_

_"Lol. I love her. But continue."_

_"She was wondering about this moving in thing....I mean we were going to and then Maizie left and you went silent for a few months. And then you refused to talk about anything close to Maizie."_

_"Are you asking if we still want to live together?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Do you want to live with us when the baby comes? We'll have a newborn and I don't know much about kids but I do know new babies cry a lot."_

_"It's a baby and it's Lottie."_

_"Didn't she get annoyed with Larry at the Villa by the end of the day?"_

_"Well yeah. But did you see her cry when she had to give him up?"_

_"I'll ask Maizie but I'm still down."_

_"Sweet....I feel like it'll be a yes. So new question."_

_"Go for it."_

_"When can we move then?"_

_"Whenever. Your room is still cleared for you. Noah is staying at Ainsley's."_

_"They've been together like a week..."_

_"Do I need to remind you that time means nothing to any of us? We were pressured to fall in love in a month...."_

_"Good point. So how are they? And him and Olly?"_

_"Ainsley and Noah are good, they look good together. He looks at her differently than he did Hope. I've got a good feeling about this one. And Noah and Olly are fine. They're okay with dating each other's ex's. Which works for me because I don't want to choose between my best mate and brother."_

_"So everything is good for now?"_

_"For the first time in a long time, yes. Everyone is together and happy."_

_"I'm glad. I'm really happy you two are giving this another shot and I really hope it works this time."_

_"Thanks, mate."_ Maizie groans and starts stirring. She opens one eye and looks up at him.

"What time is it?" He looks at his phone.

"It is currently three o'clock." She sighs.

"I need to start getting ready for dinner at Mum's." She bites her lip. "I think I need some help in the shower." He bites his lip.

"I think I can help with that." She sits up and kisses him, gently biting his lip. She gets up and runs to the bathroom. He smiles and runs after her. They get lost in each others embrace. Eventually they pull apart enough to get dressed. She sits crisscross in front of the mirror applying purple eyeshadow to her eyelid. He sits down behind her and moves her hair to kiss her shoulder, moving up to her neck. She giggles and moves away.

"Stop! I have to get ready or we'll be late."

"Fine, fine. I'll stop...until ye get done with yer makeup." He gets her hair cream and opens it.

"What are you doing?"

"Um, helping ye get ready? Ye haven't done this yet today, don't ye have to do it daily?" She looks at him a minute.

"I do. Do you know how to use it?"

"I've seen ye do yer hair a thousand times."

"Technically no more than 365 times because it's been a year and we weren't together like half of that time."

"Okay fine. Then how about I've watched ye do yer hair hundreds of times?"

"Okay. Go for it....don't hurt my curls." He smiles and does the cream as she finishes her makeup. He watches her get her foundation. He kisses her neck.

"I thought ye stopped wearing foundation. It hides yer freckles." She looks down embarrassed.

"I thought you, uh, started liking clear skin."

"Why would ye think that? Did I say something to make ye think I didn't like yer freckles?" She shakes her head and avoids his eyes. "Is it cause Sarah didn't have freckles?" She nods. "Hey, look at me." She turns and looks at him, meeting his eyes. "I love yer freckles. Just cause she didn't have freckles doesn't mean I all of a sudden hate them. This is gonna sound stupid considering everything that happened but Sarah wasn't my type. Like I liked her and thought she was pretty....but she wasn't as pretty as ye are. She didn't have yer eyes, yer lips, yer smile, yer laugh, yer curls, yer freckles....she wasn't my type. Yer my type." She smiles and looks down.

"You mean that?"

"Aye, of course I do." He leans forward. Just before their lips meet her phone rings. She sighs and answers it.

"Hello?...Yes this is her......yes I do know them.....what?....wait what???......I don't know....well I have to talk to my husband first......okay okay. I'll call you right back." She hangs up and starts chewing on her thumbnail. Bruno crawls into her lap, she hugs him tightly.

"Lass.....is everything okay?" She takes some deep breaths. 

"Do you remember Sophia?"

"Aye. The little red haired lass that loved ye. Why?" Maizie closes her eyes and takes some deep breaths. 

"Remember how I said she doesn't really trust many people?"

"Aye. That's why ye were surprised she hugged me. Maizie, what are ye getting at? Is Sophia okay?" 

"I never told you this because I never thought it would matter. Long story short I'm Sophia's godmother. And her mum passed away last night. Her dad's in prison and they have no family. Basically what I'm trying to say is I might have just become the legal guardian of a five year old." He stares at her a minute, his eyes wide. He can't find words to say or think. He went completely blank and just stared at her. She waved her hand in front of his face. "Um, Bobby. Hello?" She sighs and leans forward and starts kissing him, making him snap out of his daze. He kisses her back, deepening it. He pulls away and takes a deep breath.

"Okay. When did ye become her godmother?"

"Around the time you came to visit me when you visited me. I think right before that actually."

"So she has no one else?" Disappointment flashes in her eyes.

"Well no..." He rubs his neck. 

"So when do we get her? Do we need to go to London? Do they want us to set up a room first?" She stares at him a minute. "What? She has no one except ye and we're a package deal. So since she trusts ye more ye'll take the lead but I'll be right there."

"You're really to take this on just like that?"

"Ready? No. I'm no where near ready to be a guardian or dad or whatever. But life doesn't exactly care what ye feel ready fer. Or as Rocco would say the universe has lead us on a different path than the path we intended." She smiles and hugs him. "Well come on, call them back." She picks up her phone and looks at him.

"Are you sure?" He kisses her cheek.

"Aye. We'll figure this out. Now call them, lass." She takes a deep breath and calls them back.

"Hi this is Maizie McKenzie.....Yeah I'm calling about Sophia...." She looked into Bobby's eyes. "When do we get her?" He takes her hand and kisses it. He gets a text from Noah while she's still on the phone. He points to him then his phone and then the door. He walks out and called Noah.

"Hey, where are you guys? Mum is getting upset. Word for word she said she's missing valuable tummy time with her grandchild." Bobby laughs.

"We'll be there soon hopefully."

"Hopefully? Is everything okay? Is it the baby? Does she need to go to the hospital? Which one? Does-"

"Noah! Relax, mate. The baby is fine, Maizie is fine. Breathe." He hears Noah takes a deep breath. 

"Okay. Sorry. I didn't mean to get all panicked. Went into big brother mode. Anyway, uh, is everything okay though? Is it you? Or did something come up?"

"Uh, yeah. Something came up. I don't know if it can be resolved tonight or what. We're working on it."

"Are you two fighting?"

"No, we're amazing right now. It's not us."

"So what is it?"

"I can't tell ye until I know fer sure. But do me a favor and don't tell her family. They'll immediately freak out like ye and bug the hell out of her. Just tell them she's not feeling good right now and is resting. If she feels better we'll be there. We'll text ye when we figure it out."

"Okay, no problem. Are you two in trouble?"

"Not at all. I'll explain when I can, just trust me okay? It's not bad but I can't say anything else until we know more."

"Okay. Well be careful and text me as soon as you know okay?"

"I will. Later, mate."

"Bye." He hung up and goes back in the room. He sees Maizie struggling to get her boots on. He smiles and helps her put her shoes on and helps her up.

"Okay....yeah we'll be there as soon as we can.....alright. Thank you...thank you....bye." She hangs up and looks at him. "She's still at the hospital her mum was at....we need to go get her. And we have to stay in town until we get paperwork filled out and cleared to bring her home." 

"Okay. Looks like we need to pack our bags."

"Should we take Bruno?"

"It might be too late to bring him on the flight but we can take him in his kennel. Ye pack his stuff I'll pack ours." She smiles and nods. He gets to work packing them some clothes, her prenatal vitamins and toiletries. He puts their passports and ID's in her purse. He goes into the living room and sees her on the floor hugging Bruno. He smiles and grabs all of the paperwork they'd need for Bruno. He gets all of the dogs stuff ready and kneels down next to her. He kisses her cheek. He walks back in the room and calls Noah. "Can ye drop us off at the airport?"

"What? Why?"

"I told ye I can't tell ye why yet. Please trust me."

"Okay, uh, yeah. I'll be right there."

"Okay. Thanks man. And try not to say anything to them if about this if ye can. I need Maizie to relax. If they insist tell them I'll call them in a couple hours."

"Okay. I'll see what I can do. I'll be right there."

"Thanks, mate." He hangs up and calls Gary. "Oi. I need a favor. Maizie, Bruno and I are coming to town. Don't ask why, just trust me. Can ye help us find a place to stay? Hope's isn't an option cause of the situation."

"Uh, hi. But yeah, you can stay either here with us or there's extra room at Nan's. What's going on?"

"I can't tell ye yet. Not until probably after we get there."

"Okay. No problem. When will ye be here?"

"Noah is coming now to take us to the airport. The next three or four hours maybe. I'll text ye when we board the plane."

"Got it. Be safe, mate. Tell Maizie not to worry, we'll take care of everything. We meaning you, me and Lottie." Bobby smiles.

"Will do. Thanks, mate." He hangs up and goes to the living room. He pulls Maizie into his lap. "What are ye thinking?"

"Are we crazy for doing this? Do you think she'll want to call us Mum and Dad? Will we be good parents or guardians or whatever? Can we do this?" He gently lifts her chin to looks into her eyes.

"It's a bit crazy. But that's just who we are, we're crazy all the time. I mean we got married after being engaged fer three hours. I don't know if she'll want to call us Mum and Dad. She'll have to decide that. Fer now we'll be Maizie and Bobby and if she ever wants to she can call us Mum and Dad. We can do this and we will be excellent guardians. We won't be alone in this. We have a whole lot of people who support us. It'll take some getting used to and learning but we can do this. We're a great team. We'll have each other and all our mates and all our family." She snuggles into him and relaxes.

"I love you."

"I love ye too." Noah opens the door.

"You two ready?" Maizie looks at Bobby and smiles.

"Let's do this." He kisses her softly before she gets up. Him and Noah pack their stuff. He keeps glancing at Maizie and Bobby as he drives them to the airport. "What did he tell you, Noah?"

"Absolutely nothing. He said he didn't want to say anything until you two were sure of what was going to happen. And he said to trust him and not tell your family so they wouldn't freak out...which he has a point there. We all know they'd go crazy if they knew you two were taking off like this." Bobby smiles.

"We're coming back. We just need to go do something. We'll tell ye as soon as we can." He smiles at them.

"Alright, I'll hold them off as long as I can." Noah helps them carry their stuff inside and sees them off. A couple hours later they land and Gary and Lottie meet them at the airport. Gary hugs them both and kisses Maizie's belly. 

"Nice to see you all in one piece. Now are we staying at Nan's or our place? Nan has more rooms if that's what you need." Maizie and Bobby look at each other.

"I think Nan would be a big help. It would make everyone more comfortable too. And Nan would love it." She smiles at him and looks at Gary.

"Nan's it is. Would you mind dropping us off somewhere first? We have somewhere to go."

"Depends where." Bobby and Maizie look at each other. Bobby sighs.

"The hospital Maizie was at." Gary and Lottie exchange a look. Lottie clears her throat.

"Guys, you're really starting to scare us. We won't make you tell us what's going on...but I mean all this complete secrecy is worrisome." Maizie looks at Bobby and sighs.

"Okay but this stays between us. Basically, I was the godmother to this little girl at the charity-" Gary nods.

"Sophia right?"

"Yes, her. Well her mum died and Bobby and I are coming to get her. We need a place to stay a few days while we wrap everything up here so we can take her home. We're going to be her guardians. We didn't plan this they called us a few hours ago. We're trying to plan everything the best we can. Which I realize complicates you two moving in. I would love to still have you there but we understand if you don't want to live with us and two kids." Gary and Lottie share a look. Lottie smiles.

"Auntie Lottie and Uncle Gary are on it, babes." Maizie and Bobby smile at them. "We'll drop you off and then one of us will be back to pick you guys up when you're ready." Maizie winces.

"This is gonna sound bad but it should be you, Lottie. She knows Gary but she doesn't trust men....except oddly enough she trust Bobby. So it'll be easier if it's Lottie. Sorry, Gaz. She'll come around eventually." Gary clears his throat and shrugs, trying to act like his feelings aren't hurt.

"No worries. Whatever makes her feel better, right? Her safety and comfort come first." Maizie squeezes his hand. 

"She'll love you very soon too. She's been through a lot...she's a mini Maizie....with red hair...and blue eyes." He smiles and sighs as he pulls up to the hospital.

"Alright alright. Off you go." Bobby and Maizie look at each other before they get out. Bobby grabs Bruno's leash and takes Maizie's hand. They lead them to the playroom upstairs. A social worker meets them outside the door.

"Hi, are you Mr. and Mrs. McKenzie?" Maizie smiles and shakes her hand.

"Yes, I'm Maizie and this is Bobby. How is she doing?"

"She's pretty upset. How close are you with her?" Maizie looks at Sophia sitting in the corner by herself hugging her teddy bear.

"Besides her mum I was the person she trusts the most. That's why I became her godmother. We're very close." The social worker smiles and leads them in. Sophia looks up and sees Maizie and smiles. She runs up to her and hugs her tightly. Maizie picks her up and hugs her tightly. "It's okay, bug. I'm here now. We've got you." Sophia starts crying and hugs her tighter. After a few minutes she pulls away and looks at Maizie. Maizie smiles and turns to Bobby. "Hey, do you remember Bobby?" She nods. "Well he's my husband now. He promised to love us forever, is that okay?" Sophia looks at him for a minute before she nods. They went into one of the conference rooms and started all the paperwork. When they finally finish everything they needed to do for the day they give them a bag of Sophia's stuff. Sophia takes Bobby's hand as they walked to the front entrance to meet up with Lottie. He looks down at her surprised and smiles. Lottie waves from her car when she sees them. Sophia stands behind Bobby as they get closer. Maizie leans down. "Hey, it's okay. This is Lottie. She's one of my best mates and she's making sure we get to Nan's house. I swear she's really nice. Would I ever lie to you?" Sophia shakes her head. "Okay then why don't we introduce you two?" Sophia reaches up to Bobby and he picks her up.

"Sophia, this is Lottie. I promise she's really silly and really sweet." He looks at Lottie. "Lottie, this is Sophia. She is the special princess we told ye would be gracing ye with her presence." Sophia smiles, making Lottie smile. She speaks softly to her.

"Hi, Sophia. I am very honored to have you grace me with your presence. Between us Nan is super excited too. She's baking cookies right now. Are you ready to go?" Sophia nods. Bruno sits between Sophia and Maizie, taking turns licking each of their faces. When they get to Nan's Sophia clings to Maizie's hand and a hand on Bruno's back. Maizie smiles when she smells the cookies.

"Oh those smell good. Nan! We're home!" Nan turns the corner and smiles. Maizie meets her halfway and hugs her tightly. "Oh, I missed you so much." 

"I missed you too dear. You've been gone for so long, I'm okay you're alright." She pats Maizie's belly. "You're really good from what I hear." Maizie laughs and looks at Bobby.

"Well talk more about that later, Nan. I promise. Right now my focus is on Sophia." She walks back over to Sophia. "This is my Nan, she's my grandma. She's very sweet...and she has cookies. Want to go try some with me?" Sophia and Maizie go with Nan into the kitchen, Bruno staying next to Sophia. Gary and Lottie walk over to Bobby. Gary pats his shoulder.

"So....how's dad life treating you?" Bobby smiles.

"Relax, she's still got to get used to everything. And we agreed we wouldn't push her to call us Mum and Dad. She can if she ever feels like she wants to but fer now we'll stay Bobby and Maizie. Has Maizie's family called either of ye?" Lottie shakes her head.

"No. Noah has though. We didn't tell him we just told him you two made it here safe and were taking care of some things and would call him later." Bobby sighs and rubs his neck.

"I hope she does okay. I mean this can't be easy fer her. She has to be feeling so scared right now." Gary looks at Sophia at the table with Nan and Maizie. 

"She'll be alright. She's young enough she can come back from this. I think you two are exactly who she needs right now." Bobby smiles and watches them talk. Maizie meets his eyes.

"How did I get so lucky?" Lottie smiles and looks at him, her eyebrows raised.

"Lucky with what exactly? Sophia or Maizie?"

"Both. How did I get so lucky to find someone like Maizie and actually get her to fall in love with me. And Sophia...that lass is already getting to me. Did ye see she let me pick her up earlier? That was a great feeling. And she held my hand. That's an accomplishment in my book." 

"You sound like such a family man. Look at you all grown up. Who would've thought that the Villa goofball would be the first one of us to start a family." He shrugs and looks back at Maizie and Sophia.

"Not me. Seeing it now I have no clue why I didn't want this. I hope this works out." Maizie waves him over. He sits down next to her and kisses her softly. "Right, so I was thinking about this room situation. We are gonna need to take Maw's room and give Sophia our current room." Sophia looked at him confused.

"Who's Maw?" He looks down a moment.

"She's my mum."

"Well where is she gonna sleep?" He thinks a moment before clearing his throat.

"She doesn't live with us anymore. She went where yer mum went but she went a few months ago." Sophia looked down.

"Do you miss your mum?"

"Every single day."

"Do you still get sad?"

"Everyday. But ye know what helps me?" She looks up at him. "Talking about one really good memory I have of my mum."

"Like what?"

"There was this one time I tried to prank my mum by hiding behind a door. I was gonna jump out and say boo. I saw her coming down the hallway so I hid behind the door to the laundry room and waited. It felt like I waited fer hours but it was just a few minutes. Anyway I peek around the door and don't see her. I looked in the hallway and didn't see her so I went to her room to see if she was in there. And then she jumped out from behind her door and scared me. Then she tickled me until I cried. My mum was always really fun and played all kinds of jokes on us." Sophia smiles.

"One time my mummy bought me a present and hid it. She gave me clues all over our flat. She read me the clues and I had to follow them until they led me to the present. It was a really pretty music box. It had a boy and girl dancing in it and played really pretty music. We also used to do ballet dances with it." Bobby smiles.

"That sounds like she was a really good mum then." Maizie leans forward.

"What happened to your music box? I thought I saw it before when you were at the shelter at my job." She looks down.

"It got broken by Joey." Maizie sighs.

"When? That boy I swear. I'm gonna call his mum tomorrow and give her an ear full. She really needs to do something about him. It starts with stuff like this and then-" Bobby laughs.

"Lass, relax. One thing at a time. It could've been months ago." 

"It was around my birthday."

"See I knew I shouldn't have left. I should've been there to keep him from doing stuff like that. He listened to me but he always picked on the younger kids behind my back. What fourteen year old can do that."

"One that had a crush on ye." She looked at him confused. "Did he listen to his parents?"

"No."

"Did he listen to anyone in school?"

"No."

"Another adult there?"

"No."

"He had a crush on ye, babe. He listened cause he thought ye were hot...which ye are. I mean I did have a major crush on ye when we met." She blushes and smiles.

"Slow down, Romeo. We're in front of people." He kisses her cheek and looks back at Sophia.

"Tell me more about yer mum. I only met her once." Sophia smiled and started telling him all kinds of things about her mum. She even crawled into his lap at some point. Eventually she fell asleep cuddled against him. He looked down at her and smiled. He gently picked her up and carried her upstairs with Maizie and Bruno following behind. He laid her down gently and covered her up. Bruno curled up at the end of the bed. Bobby smiles and points to the dog and looked at Maizie. She smiled and kissed Sophia's cheek and scratched Bruno's ears. Bobby put her teddy next to her before they tip toed out. He left the door cracked and walked back downstairs. Nan smiled at them as they walked into the dining room and sat with everyone else.

"You're really good with kids, Bobby. She seems to really like you." Bobby blushes.

"I was just trying to make her feel better." Maizie shook her head.

"She's right, Sophia really likes you. Which is hard to believe because she doesn't trust men. Sorry, Gary. But you can blame her dad for that bit. She's seen a lot of horrible things and he did them all. But with Bobby she seems to trust him." Bobby smiles and kisses Maizie's cheek.

"By the way, yer mum has texted me like ten times about us. We need to tell them something. What do ye want me to say?" She sighs and picks up another cookie.

"Hell if I know. She's gonna freak when she finds out about Sophia. I mean not because we took in a kid, but she's gonna worry about the pregnancy and a new child and stress and affording two of them. And since we didn't really have time to think this through she's gonna question me a ton on if I'm ready for this and if I made the right choice or not. She's gonna be a handful." Bobby rubs her back.

"Maybe she'll back off when she sees ye together. I mean it sounds crazy but then ye watch ye together and it makes sense." Lottie nods.

"Bobby's right. Not gonna lie, we were really surprised you two just jumped straight into this thing. But watching you both talk to her and make her laugh...it's sweet. It looks like you're really happy and we feel better about it. Here look." She shows them her phone and shows them some pictures she took. One is when Sophia was sitting in Bobby's lap talking, another is when Maizie was tickling her while she sat in Bobby's lap and the last one was when Sophia was asleep against Bobby. Maizie and Bobby both were looking down at her. "I might be the obsessed Auntie already." Bobby smiled.

"That's adorable. Lottie the Queen of Darkness grows a soft spot fer her new niece in a matter of hours." Lottie tries to hide her smile and shrugs.

"She's adorable." Gary laughs and kisses her cheek.

"No need to hide it, babe. It's cute you care about her." Nan nods.

"They're right, love. It shows your soft side, which no one gets to see often. It's sweet." Maizie stretches.

"Well I'm exhausted. You ready for bed, babe?"

"Ye know it. I'm beat." They stand and say goodnight to everyone, hugging Lottie and Gary and kissing Nan's cheek. Once they're in their room and dressed they both collapse on the bed. Maizie cuddles into him and their quickly asleep. Bobby gets woken up by Bruno licking his face. He wipes his face and looks around. "Sophia, what's wrong? Are ye alright?" She sniffles.

"I miss my mummy." He sees Maizie fast asleep on the other side of the bed. He looks back at Sophia.

"Ye want to sleep with Maizie tonight? I can go sleep in yer room and ye can take my spot." She shakes her head but crawls into bed with them. Bruno lays at the foot of their bed curled up. He looked at Sophia. "Do ye want me to stay?" She nods. He lays back down next to her and looks at her. He gently pokes her nose. "Boop." She smiles and cuddles into him. For a minute he holds his arm up, unsure what to do. He slowly places it around her and cuddles her back. They fall asleep snuggled up close. Bobby feels something tickle his nose, making him open his eyes and look around. Sophia has a feather in her hand. He smiles and sits up. "Where'd ye get that?"

"Outside. I went with Nan to get eggs from her chickens and I found it. She said I could have it." 

"Who else is up?"

"Me, you, Maizie and Nan."

"Gary and Lottie are asleep?" She nods. He smiles and picks her up. "Today, my love, I'm going to teach ye the most famous trick of all." Maizie walks down the hallway and sees Bobby with shaving cream.

"What are you doing?" He smiles.

"Shhhh. Take my phone. I want to remember this one." He hands her his phone and the three of them tip toe to Lottie and Gary's room. Bobby puts shaving cream in Gary's hand and Sophia tickles his nose. She tickled it a couple times before he swats at his face and smacks shaving cream all over him. He sits up and looks around.

"What's that? What's going on?" He sees the shaving cream in his hand and smiles. Sophia, Maizie and Bobby laugh hysterically at the sight of Gary. Lottie sits up ready to complain until she sees Gary and starts laughing too.

"Babe! They got you good!" Bobby kneels next to Sophia.

"High five! Yer first prank was successful. Tell me ye got that, lass." She smiles and nods.

"Sure did. We'll call it Sophia's first prank." Sophia goes up to Gary and pokes the tip of his nose.

"Boop." Bobby beamed with pride.

"I taught her that." Gary laughs and wipes some shaving cream on her face, making her laugh.

"See now I'm not the only one that looks silly." He sticks his tongue out at her, and scrunches his face. "Ugh. Don't eat it it taste awful." Sophia laughs again. Bobby picks her up.

"Let's go clean yer face my little protégé." After everyone is cleaned up and down stairs Sophia tells Nan about her prank on Gary. Gary smiled and tossed a piece of toast at her.

"You got me good, little bug. Am I gonna have to start having Bruno sleep with me so I'll know when you're there?" She shakes her head.

"Nope. He sleeps with me. He's mine." Maizie laughs.

"Are you telling me you're taking my dog?" Sophia smiles and nods. Maizie looks at her phone and sighs. "It's another text from my mum. She wants an answer on what we've been doing." Gary shrugs.

"Why don't you just send her the pictures we've all taken of you three. Or the video of this morning. Show her how happy you three are." Maizie shrugs.

"Might as well. Easier than trying to plan out what to say. Wait, _we've_. Does that mean you took pictures too." Gary blushes and stuff a big bite of pancakes in his mouth and points to it and shakes his head. Everyone laughs at him. Lottie takes his phone and looks through it.

"Aww! He did! You big teddy bear. I'll send them to you two." Bobby looks at the pictures. One is of Maizie eating cookies with Sophia, one is Sophia sitting in Maizie's lap laughing, and the last one is a picture of Sophia curled into Bobby asleep. Him and Maizie are looking at each other smiling. "Auntie Lottie and Uncle Gary both seem to have a soft side for her." She winks at Sophia. Sophia smiles and looks down a minute before she looks at Maizie. 

"Does that mean your my new mum and Bobby is my dad?" Maizie and Bobby look at each other for a moment, then look at everyone else. Maizie clears her throat.

"Well, we are going to be the ones taking care of you from now on but that doesn't mean you have to call us that or think of us like that. If you want to you can or you can just call us Maizie and Bobby or Auntie Maizie and Uncle Bobby, whatever you want. But Lottie and Gary are Auntie and Uncle because they're our best mates. Sometimes people who aren't related to you go by Auntie and Uncle because they're close with your family." Sophia nods.

"Mummy said I've never had a real daddy before. She said the man before was a monster." Maizie and Bobby look at each other. Bobby clears his throat.

"Some people may be yer family cause of who yer born with but that doesn't always make them good. Some people have messed up minds that makes it hard fer them to make good choices. That's what yer mum meant when she said he wasn't yer dad." Sophia looks down at him a second.

"I don't think I want to call you mummy or daddy."

"That's perfectly fine with us, love. Call us whatever ye want. We're okay with Maizie and Bobby or Auntie Maizie and Uncle Bobby. Or even Pretty Princess and Handsome Prince. Or what about Bonnie and Clown? Cause Bonnie means beautiful so she's the beautiful one and I'm the funny one. Get it, it's a play off of Bonnie and Clyde." He looks around at the others. "Ye know Oliver could come up with much better names. He's good at that. He calls me all kinds of silly names."

"Who's Oliver?"

"He's my brother." She looks at Maizie.

"What about your baby? Will it be my brother or sister?" Maizie blushes and looks at Bobby.

"If you want to think of them as your brother or sister then absolutely." Nan shakes her head and smiles.

"That's one smart girl you two got there. Can't get nothing by her." Bobby smiles.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Nan stands up and starts taking empty plates.

"I better start the wash up or I'll be doing it until noon." Bobby stretches and kisses Maizie's cheek.

"I'm gonna go get dressed, lass." She smiles.

"Okay." He starts walking away when Sophia talks to him.

"Hey! No bye for me?" He raises his eyebrows and smiles.

"I'm very sorry, where are my manners?" He kneels and takes her hand kissing it dramatically moving up her arm before blowing a raspberry on her cheek, making her laugh. "Is that better?" She smiles.

"Yes, much. You can go now." He raises his eyebrows again and looks at Gary. Gary laughs and shrugs.

"You better hope that baby is a boy or you'll have three women telling you what to do." Bobby crosses his fingers.

"Let's hope right?" He turns and goes upstairs. _**If ye told me a year ago I would be here, I would've never believed it. That little red haired lass is something else.**_


	24. Blue Or Pink?

The day before the gender reveal arrives Maizie and Sophia went with the girls to go shopping while the lads stayed home. They prepped food and snacks for the party as they chatted. Bobby looked at Rahim.

"So, it's been a while since we've heard from ye. How ye been? How's Jo?" Rahim stops what he's doing and looks down. He clears his throat.

"We kind of broke up." Everyone stops their prep work and looks at him. Noah gives him a confused look.

"Why? When?"

"Well with my golfing and her BMX racing it got really hard to see each other and talk to each other. We still love each other a lot but we decided it was time to end us. Not gonna lie it was really hard to do." Bobby walks over to him and hugs him.

"I know exactly how that feels, mate." Rahim smiles and pats Bobby's back. Noah joins the hug too.

"So do I." Gary frowns.

"I don't know what it feels like but I still want to be included." Rahim smiles and pulls him into the hug too. Olly runs over and joins in.

"Wait fer me!" After a second they all pull apart, clearing their throats and speaking in deeper voices. Bobby points to Noah.

"Don't mess that dip up. Maizie might actually kill ye fer that one. These cravings are insane." He smiles.

"I promise I'll be careful. What's been her worst one so far?"

"Pickles and chocolate ice cream....together. Don't ask me why, dinnae ken." Oliver gags.

"That bairn better extra cute fer that one." Bobby smiles.

"Maizie's is it's mum, it's gonna be gorgeous or handsome no matter what." Gary looks at Bobby.

"So how is Sophia finding it?"

"Pretty good. She's slept in our room a couple times. She has bad dreams too. Maizie's is a lot better but they still happen, Sophia has one almost every night." Rahim shrugs.

"But with Maizie's at least you know how to make her feel better. Have you figured out what helps Sophia?"

"It depends if Bruno comes and gets me or not. I usually do it cause I don't want to wake Maizie up. But if he gets me it's usually when it starts and I just have to rub her back. If he doesn't she wakes up screaming or comes into our room crying. She calms down if we cuddle. Other than that she seems to be doing okay. Bruno follows her everywhere though, it's adorable. It's a good thing he's a service dog and could go shopping with them otherwise I don't think she'd have gone." Rahim chuckles.

"Okay, who here would've thought Bobby would be the first one of us to start having kids?" No one raises their hand, making Bobby laugh. "And who here thought he'd be able to convince Maizie to marry him?" Noah raised his hand and looks around.

"What? I'm his best mate. I know him like Gary knows Maizie. I knew it would happen." Gary shrugs.

"I kind of thought it would to if I'm honest. With the way Maizie talks about him it was hard not to." Rahim looks at Bobby.

"I only didn't think so because you two were constantly running off scared." Bobby smiles.

"We still did that. Twice while we were married." Rahim thinks a minute.

"Oh, yeah. I remember the second time now. She's only been back what, two weeks?" Bobby nods. "Now do you two plan on staying together this time?" Bobby raises his eyebrows. Noah shrugs.

"I mean I wasn't going to say it, but we were thinking the same thing." Bobby laughs.

"Even if we decided we didn't want to be together we agreed no matter what our family would come first. So if we ever got divorced we would still both stay in Scotland. She wouldn't take the kids from me and I wouldn't take the kids from her. We want our kids to have the best childhood we can give them and they'll only get that if we're both here." Rahim smiles at him.

"That's good to know." Bobby looks at Gary.

"So....Gary. How are things with Lottie?" He smiles at him.

"Good. She's really excited to move in here. She adores Sophia. She cried after you guys had left. And she's very excited about the baby. She talks about it non stop."

"So do ye think she's the one?" Gary blushes and smiles looking down.

"I'm thinking she might be. That's a big commitment though and I want to be absolutely sure that's what she wants too. I know she wants kids but marriage is still up in the air." Noah looks at him confused.

"Wait, she wants kids but not marriage?"

"Yeah, you know she's untraditional. Which is why it's so funny her and Maizie are so close. They're polar opposites." Noah shrugs.

"So is Ainsley. Except she wants marriage and kids too. But we haven't talked about it past that, we don't want to push it." Bobby looks at Olly.

"And how are things with ye and Hope? Is this kids thing an issue fer ye?" He smiles.

"I think I'm falling fer her. There's so much about her that I just can't get enough of. We've started talking about kids and marriage and stuff. Right now I'm not sure if I want kids or not. I feel like I'm still too young to make such a decision like that right away. If it's something I've always thought about then sure. But I've never considered if I really want kids or not. Sophia is a handful so I might just be okay with being Uncle Olly. Marriage though, we both want that." He looks at Noah. "Sorry, mate." Noah smiles and shakes his head.

"We're good. I have no ill feelings towards you or your relationship. I mean it was hard at first but I didn't hate you. We were broken up and you waited a respectable amount of time before you two decided to actually date. As long as you're both happy." Oliver smiles.

"Same to ye and Ainsley. I'm glad we can still get on."

"Well for the sake of Bobby we kind of had to, but it's not forced so that helps." Bobby puts a hand on his heart.

"Aww, babes. Yer getting along just fer me!" Noah laughs and gently pushes him.

"Hush you." Bobby laughs.

"Alright, ye all need to go stand guard in the living room while I bake the cake. No one can see." They grudgingly agree and leave the kitchen. Bobby bakes the cake and cleans up the kitchen while it bakes so no one knows what kind it is. After it finishes baking and cools off he starts working on decorating. He uses white icing as the base color and adds pink and blue paisley design all over it. He makes intricate pink, blue and white flowers out of icing. He writes on top of the cake 'pink or blue'. Once the flowers are set he carefully places them on the top and sides. Gary walks in as he adds the finishing touches.

"Damn, Bobby. Way to go all out. Did you do the whole thing by hand? Like do you have a stencil or something for the design?" Bobby smiles.

"Nope. That was all freehand. And the flowers I made too." He hears the girls come in. "Looks like I finished just in time. Get the fridge fer me?" He's shutting the fridge as Sophia runs in.

"Bobby!" He smiles and picks her up. "Come look at my new clothes." He laughs.

"Why do I feel like we're gonna need to build a bigger closet?" He goes into the living room still carrying Sophia and walks up to Maizie. "How's my gorgeous wife and baby?" She blushes and kisses him.

"We're good, tired and hungry but good." He smiles.

"There's extra snacks in the kitchen. Don't eat the stuff with red lids. Those are fer tomorrow. Now about these clothes." She smiles at him and looks at the girls.

"We might have gotten carried away. She definitely got spoiled today. I'd say let's have her try them on and show you but there's a whole lot of clothes." He raises his eyebrows and looks at the other lads. She pulls him to the couch and makes him sit while the girls gather on the floor and start showing them all the dresses and skirts and bows they got Sophia. 

"Damn, lass. Did ye buy the whole store?" She blushes.

"No, but I did find her a cute little apron and matching mittens. So she can be your sous chef. And! We all got something for you lads." The boys look at each other nervously. Noah leans over to Bobby.

"I bet you five pounds they got us all matching shirts." Bobby laughs.

"Yer on." The girls all pull out matching shirts, all the lads groan. "So yer telling me we all have the exact some shirt...the whole group not just matching couples?" Maizie smiles.

"Uh, duh. And Sophia has one too and I got a onesie too match. You best believe when the baby is born we're going to do a massive photoshoot with all of us wearing these." He looks at Noah and smiles shaking his head. The rest of the evening they ate takeout and hung out in the living room, Sophia was the center of attention. She bounced between everyone the whole night, but staying with Bobby the most. Bobby loved every second he spent with their friends and daughter. The next day the girls took Maizie and Sophia to get pedicures while Bobby and the other lads stayed and set up for everything. Lucas and Henrik show up with Elijah following behind. Louis went with the girls to get a pedicure while Dean stayed and helped. As soon as Lucas, Henrik and Elijah saw him they all tackled him with a hug, making him laugh. Lucas smiles.

"I missed you, mate!" Henrik sighed.

"Things feel right in the world again." Elijah chuckles.

"You know this might seem weird to anyone who hasn't been to the Villa." Bobby smiles.

"Alright, alright. It's good to see ye lads too." He turns and hugs Lucas. "Long time no see! How are ye? Done that doctors to borders thing??"

"I leave next week to do it." He hugs Henrik. 

"And congratulations, mate. Chelsea called Maizie immediately and I swear Maizie has never screamed so loud. She woke Sophia up and everything." 

"Thanks, mate! You know I never would've taken a shot at it if it hasn't been for you and Maizie giving us that nudge."

"We've got an eye for good matches." He hugs Elijah. "How's Arjun? Ye still going strong?"

"Yeah, we're great. He didn't know if you wanted him here."

"Why? Cause of things with Carl? Mate I don't blame him. I'm not mad. Besides it all worked out."

"I told him that too!"

"Yer both welcome here any time." Lucas nudges him.

"So you adopted a little girl and are expecting a baby. Wow, got to say I've never been so happy to be wrong." Bobby laughs.

"Mate, me too. I swear I thought she was gonna ditch me fer ye when ye first came to the Villa." Lucas laughs.

"She's only had eyes for you. I never stood a chance. But it works out. I don't think I'm actually ready for the settle down lifestyle yet. Maybe when I come back."

"I know some girls. Let me know. I always saw ye with Priya or Marisol. They're both still single." Lucas blushes.

"Marisol and I tried it, remember?"

"But now ye don't have the pressure from the Villa."

"Very true. So where are the girls?"

"They all went to get pedicures."

"Even your new one, what's her name?"

"Sophia. Yes, she went too. She was really excited." Dean walks over and puts his arm around Bobby. 

"So was Louis. I swear he's been talking about this fer days." Bobby smiles.

"Dean, ye remember my mates? This is Lucas, Henrik and Elijah." He smiles and shakes their hands.

"I do from the show. I think I met Lucas and Henrik but I haven't met Elijah." Elijah shakes his hand.

"It's good to finally meet you. Bobby talked about you and your husband a lot at the Villa." Noah gets everyone's attention. 

"Oi! We're taking bets on what it is, who wants in? Bobby you can't play, you know." Bobby laughs and watches all of them start making bets on pieces of paper. The girls walk in and they break it up. Bobby looks at Maizie and smiles. She wore a form fitting shirt with baby foot prints on the bump. It said 'the bump'. She made Bobby wear the matching shirt that said 'daddy of the bump'. He walks up to her and kisses her, just a tad intensely. She giggles and pulls away.

"Miss me?" He bites his lip.

"Every second I'm not with ye. Yer so damn sexy." She blushes. Sophia pulls on his shirt and he kneels down. "Hey, love. Did ye have fun? What color did ye get, let me see." She smiled and showed him.

"I got purple, Mummy's favorite color." He kisses her cheek.

"I bet ye that makes her very happy." He picks her up and looks at Maizie again. "Ye excited to find out what it is?" She smiles and nods.

"Yes! Then we can officially decide on a name and start buying stuff. Are you happy with what it is? Is it what you wanted it to be?" He chuckles.

"I didn't have a preference on boy or girl. But I am happy with what it is." Lottie comes up and puts an arm around Maizie.

"I vote girl. We need more girl power." Maizie laughs and rolls her eyes.

"We're pretty evenly matched." Lottie shakes her head.

"We were ahead before Rahim and Jo broke up but now he's now single so that means if it's a boy they'll be ahead of us. If it's a girl we'll be ahead." Gary walks up and kisses Lottie's cheek.

"I vote boy. We have a niece now we need a nephew." Lottie smiles at him. "What?" She shrugs.

"Nothing." Noah and Ainsley come over to them. Noah pokes Sophia's nose.

"What do you want it to be, Soph?" She thinks a minute.

"A boy. I like being the only girl." Noah smiles at her.

"Only cause you're already spoiled rotten. Shopping yesterday, pedicures today. I'd say you've already got these two wrapped around your little finger." Bobby shrugs.

"I mean, he's not wrong. But have ye seen her pouty face yet? Ye just can't say no, it's freaking adorable." Olly puts an arm around Bobby's shoulder.

"It really is. She got me to make pancakes at three in the afternoon the other day. I swear ye just can't say no." Ainsley smiles.

"I think she has a super power, right bug?" Sophia shrugs.

"Maybe." Hope comes over with Priya. Priya bites her lip and looks at Noah.

"So I heard you two broke up?" Ainsley raises her eyebrows at him. He puts an arm around her shoulders and smiles.

"By the way, Priya this my girlfriend Ainsley. Maizie's sister. Ainsley you already know who this is." Ainsley smiles at Priya.

"Nice to meet you, love." She leans over to Maizie. "Should I be worried?" Maizie shakes her head.

"Priya's great. That stuff only happened cause we were all locked inside one flat together fer a whole month. Less pressure on the outside and she has a ton of options....like Lucas?" Priya smiles at her.

"He's dreamy. But I don't know. He's about to go do that doctor thing." Bobby shrugs.

"And he says he's not ready fer something serious. He told me that earlier. He said maybe when he comes back." Chelsea runs over.

"What did I miss? Is this a meeting like at the Villa? What's the plan?" The girls smile at her. Lottie shakes her head.

"No, babes. No plan. We're just chatting. But since you're here let's see that ring." Chelsea squeals and sticks her hand out showing off a sparkling engagement ring. Sophia looks at Bobby.

"Can I go see Nana Susan?"

"Absolutely. Just be careful going through everyone, yeah? Use yer manners." 

"Okay." He kisses her cheek and lets her down. Chelsea bites her lip looking at the girls.

"Isn't it gorgeous? Ugh, he did it under the stars. We went for a night time hike, those are so romantic, and he took me to the top of a cliff. It overlooked the ocean and when I turned around he was on one knee. It was so amazing and perfect. I never would have thought I'd fall in love with such an outdoorsy lad. But I'm glad I did." Maizie beams and looks at Bobby.

"We did good then, huh?" Priya sighs.

"You're all so lucky to have found someone. Yet here I am still single." Hope shrugs.

"Rahim is single now too you know." Priya raises an eyebrow.

"Really? Interesting..." Rahim walks over.

"What's interesting?" Priya smiles sweetly at him.

"Some new scents I'm adding to my perfume line." He smiles.

"Oh yeah. How's that going?"

"Very successful thank you. It's selling like crazy. It's getting pretty popular." Marisol comes over and smiles at everyone.

"Don't tell me I'm not included in this Villa reunion." Maizie smiles and hugs her.

"We could never exclude you, babes." Marisol blushes and glances at Bobby. He blushes and clears his throat, making Maizie smile.

"We were just talking about what's going on with all of us." Gary smiles and looks around.

"This is nice. Seeing us all here together. It's been a while." Rahim nods.

"It is nice. It's nice to see we can all still be friends." Lottie shrugs.

"It's hard not to when you're locked in a flat for a month." Hope smiles at her.

"Good point. A lot has really changed though hasn't it?" Marisol nods.

"A LOT. I mean Bobby and Maizie are married with a daughter and another on the way, Noah and Hope are both seeing different people, Chelsea and Henrik are engaged, Priya has a perfume line, Rahim...is going through some changes." Bobby laughs.

"Ye make it sound like he's goin through puberty. What's going on with ye, Marisol?" 

"I graduate law school in June. Other than that not much." 

"Maybe ye should relocate. Gary and Lottie are moving here, in here actually. In the spare bedroom." Hope and Oliver look at each other and smile. Oliver takes her hand and kisses it.

"Actually, we were talking about me and Hope maybe getting a place of our own. She wants to move up here too." Everyone smiles at them. Maizie hugs Hope.

"Oh, please do! If not for him then for me." Hope laughs.

"It's a strong possibility." She glances at Noah. He smiles.

"Hope, I am very happy for you two. Don't feel like you have to hold off on doing what you want to do just because of me. We agreed to still be mates so as your mate I'm telling you to move in with him. Or get a place. He's a good guy." She smiles.

"Thanks, Noah." Lottie looks around.

"Look at us all grown up and stuff. Moving in together, marriage, kids. We've hit the next stage of adulthood together. We're not a bunch of single horny people." Gary shrugs.

"We're just a group of horny, coupled up adults....and Rahim, Priya and Marisol. Maybe you three should couple up, eh?" They all laugh. Marisol shrugs.

"Wouldn't be my first time." She winked at Bobby and Maizie, making them both blush. Rahim chuckles.

"You realize every time we're together that gets brought up?" Noah looks at him like he's crazy.

"Because Bobby got to live what every guy dreams about. I mean I'm surprised he doesn't talk about it more." Bobby laughs.

"Because I'm not the only one involved. It's disrespectful to go around talking about what ye do with...people." He doesn't try to hide his smile. "All I'll say is I hope I remember it fer the rest of my life and I love ye, Maizie." She laughs and kisses him.

"Thanks for the reassurance." He puts an arm around her and a hand on the bump. 

"I'd say it's about time to get this announced. What's say ye, lass?" She gasps.

"Yes, please! Can we please??" He smiles and nods.

"I think we can. Noah, gather everyone around please. I saw some people go outback. Has anyone seen Sophia?" Gary nods.

"She's still with Maizie's mum and Big Jonno. Hey what does she call him?" Bobby thinks a minute.

"I think just Big Jonno fer now. Though with how they've been she may be calling him Papa Jonno soon. Or Papa Jonny if she goes by what Susan calls him." Gary shrugs and looks over at Sophia sitting in Susan's lap. 

"I'll grab her for you." He walks over and picks Sophia up, swinging her around like an airplane. Maizie, Sophia and Bobby stand at the table waiting for everyone to get their phones ready and in good spots. Bobby smiles.

"Alright, who's ready to find out what my lovely wife is carrying?" Everyone cheers. He turns to Maizie and kisses her softly and kisses Sophia's cheek. He hands Maizie the knife and she places Sophia's hand under hers. Together they cut a piece and slowly pull it out revealing...blue! Sophia claps and squeals.

"It's a baby brother!!! I'm gonna have a baby brother!!!" Everyone applauds and celebrate. Noah points at Gary.

"You owe me, mate. I told you it was a boy." Gary waves his hand dismissively.

"Ah, whatever. They could still be wrong." Lottie rolls her eyes.

"We were so close, now we're outnumbered." Priya laughs and gently pushes her.

"Lighten up, Lottie. Now we have a niece and a nephew!" Ainsley bumps Oliver's shoulder.

"Some of us quite literally." Oliver laughs and ruffles her hair.

"Got me there, Ains." Bobby picks up Sophia and looks at Maizie.

"Looks like we get to add a boy to our family." Maizie beams up at him and looks into his eyes.

"I love our family." He kisses her softly.

"So do I, lass." He looks at Sophia. "And now that we know what it is we can start getting stuff fer him." Sophia gets down and runs up to Noah, he picks her up and smiles. He turns to Ainsley and they start talking to her. Maizie hugs Bobby tightly. He felt so happy in that moment, but he couldn't ignore the sadness he felt in his heart. _**Maw and Da would so happy to see all this. I don't know how I'm gonna do this without them. Who am I gonna go to fer advice on being a dad? I wish more than anything they could be here.**_ He looks at Olly who's eyes are watering. He smiles at him and nods. Dean and Louis came up to them. Louis puts an arm around Maizie.

"Can we decorate his nursery?" Chelsea and Henrik come over. Chelsea nudges Dean gently.

"Only if I can decorate Sophia's room." Maizie and Bobby laugh. Maizie shrugs.

"We might be able to work something out. I mean you redecorated our new room beautifully. We love it." Chelsea and Louis high five. Chelsea winks at her.

"You know we had to do something special. I mean you both have done so much for the four of us. And you two definitely deserve it." Bobby hears Sophia laugh. He looks over while Maizie keeps talking to them. Sophia is the center of attention. Lottie, Gary, Noah, Ainsley, Hope and Olly all stood around her. Ainsley and Lottie were taking turns dancing with her. His heart swelled at the sight of them laughing together. _**This is actually my life. I get to live this and have such amazing friends and a beautiful daughter. I never thought this is where I would end up.**_ Noah looks up and sees Bobby watching them. He shrugs at him before Ainsley pulls Noah to them and makes him start dancing with them. Before long they had a mini Villa reunion dance party. He kisses Maizie's cheek.

"I'll be right back, lass." She looks at him confused.

"Okay. I love you." 

"I love ye too." He walks around everyone before disappearing into their room. He opens his night stand and pulls out a photo album. He flips through it looking through the pictures. He hears someone clear their throat and looks up to see Oliver there. "Hey." He smiles and comes in and sits next to him on the bed.

"Ye alright?" Bobby nods, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"It's just...I've never been happier. I'm married to the woman of my dreams, we have a gorgeous daughter and we're having a little boy. All our friends and family came to celebrate with us. I get too see our two closest mates and our siblings bond with Sophia. But...I can't help but feel sad." Oliver nods.

"Me too. I was thinking about what they would do if they had been there fer it."

"Well they wouldn't have let me be the one to know before everyone else. Maw would definitely have cried while Da would've been shouting and hugging everyone." Oliver laughs.

"I bet he'd be passing around cigars like an old timer." Bobby smiles and looks down at the pictures.

"Look, here's one when Maw was pregnant with ye. Ye think they felt nervous too?"

"Oh definitely. But look how happy they are. Ye know who they remind me of?"

"Who?"

"Ye and Maizie. That's exactly how ye all looked a few minutes ago." Bobby chuckles and looks at their faces. His eyes started to sting.

"I really miss them, Olly. Especially Da. How am I going to do this without them?" He sniffles. "I mean, who am I going to go to now when I need advice on being a dad. I have no clue what I'm doing. Da would know exactly what to tell me. Everyday I wake up to Sophia I feel so thankful but then I start feeling anxious about if I'm a good enough dad. She's been through so much in so little time and she deserves the best dad possible. I don't know what I'm doing." He wipes his eye. Oliver pats his shoulder and clears his throat.

"I miss him too, Bobby. Imagine all the dad he jokes and magic tricks he'd be teaching her." Bobby laughs and sniffles again.

"He was the best at those." 

"Bobby?" They look up and see Sophia peaking around the door. He wipes his eye and clears his throat.

"What're ye doing, love? Where's Maizie?" 

"She's talking to Auntie Chelsea and Auntie Priya. I wanted to see what you were doing?" 

"Come here, love." She walks over to the bed and he pulls her into his lap. "I was looking through this."

"What is it?" 

"A photo album. It has a bunch of pictures in it." Oliver smiles at her.

"Want to see what yer dad looked like as a kid?" She smiles and nods. They look through the pictures together. Once in a while she would ask about a picture and they'd tell her the story. They looked up to see Maizie and Hope watching them. "Hey babe." Hope walks over and sits next to him on the bed.

"Hey, what are you three doing here?" Maizie sits next to Bobby and looks at the photo album. She smiles and looks at him.

"I was thinking about them too." She squeezes his hand, he kissed the top of hers. Hope points to a picture.

"What's going on here?" Oliver looks at Bobby and smiles.

"That was when we were at Sammy's birthday party as kids and Bobby wet himself and had to wear one of her dresses." Hope's jaw drops.

"I knew the story but didn't know there was a picture!" Bobby blushes a little and shrugs.

"Cause I didn't want to say it was a pink sparkly dress." Sophia looks at it.

"I think you look very pretty."

"Well thank ye, love." Maizie leans over to Sophia.

"Remind me to show you a video of him wearing one of Auntie Priya's dresses when we met." Hope starts laughing.

"The Mr. Love Island contest! Oh that was definitely one of the best bits. Please tell me you didn't eat that cupcake."

"Oh I didn't eat it, but we had fun with the icing." She winks at Bobby, making him bite his lip.

"We had a lot of fun pretty much the whole time there." Sophia looks at them.

"Like what?" Maizie blushes, Hope and Oliver try to hide their laughter. Maizie clears her throat.

"Well, uh, like we used to play tag. And we used to dunk each other in the pool. And we played lots of games. And one time we built a blanket fort."

"What's a blanket fort?" Bobby gasps.

"Ye don't know what a blanket fort is?" He looks at the others. "Ye know what we have to do now, right?" Maizie smiles and stands up.

"I'll get the others." Hope stands up.

"We'll look for blankets." In no time everyone from the Villa had built a giant fort in the living room, leaving room for all the others too. Sophia sit in between Maizie and Bobby, smiling as she looked at the twinkle lights. Bobby looked at Maizie and smiled. She leans over and kisses him softly.

"It's even better this time." All to soon the fun ends when mostly everyone leaves. Bobby walks into the kitchen and sees Maizie and Sophia sneaking more cake.

"And what do ye think yer doing?" They turn around smiling with mouths full of cake. "Are ye sneaking more cake before bedtime?" Bobby walks up to them and kisses Maizie. "Mmm. Sweet. And I don't mean the cake." She giggles and finishes chewing. He picks up Sophia. "Which one of ye got the idea of this? I feel like it could go either way." Maizie swallows her last bite of cake. 

"Hey, your son wanted it and it wasn't fair to give him some and not her." He laughs.

"Oh he did, did he? Well I think he's had enough, it's time to get Ms. Princess here ready fer bed."

"Come on, bug. Let's get you dressed." Bobby comes into the room after she changes and Maizie hands him Sophia's hair brush. "Let's see what you can do, Daddy." He bites his lip.

"I can show ye later." She laughs and swats his arm. He kisses her cheek and takes the brush and starts brushing Sophia's long red hair as Maizie gets the bed ready. Sophia looks at Bobby in the reflection of the mirror on her vanity.

"Bobby."

"Yes, love?"

"I love you." Maizie stops messing with the blanket and turns around to look at them. He stops brushing and looks at her. They both smile.

"I love ye too, Sophia." She smiles and looks at Maizie.

"I love you too, Maizie." Maizie's eyes water.

"I love you too, bug." Bobby finishes brushing her hair and they tuck her into bed. She looks at him.

"Can you read to me?" Bobby blushes.

"I'm, uh, not really good at reading. Maizie is the reader." She gives him her pouty face.

"Pretty pretty please with a cherry on top?" He laughs and looks at Maizie. He sighs and grabs her favorite book. After he finishes reading they kiss her cheek goodnight and go back into the living room. They both sit down on the couch with the others. Gary smiles at them.

"Are you two okay? You look very happy." Lottie looks at him confused.

"They just found out...well Maizie just found out they're having a boy. They have the family they wanted. And half of us are moving here. Of course they're happy." Maizie cuddles up to Bobby. 

"Sophia just told us she loved us." Hope beams at them.

"Aw, congratulations! Do you think she'll end up calling you mum and dad?" Maizie shrugs.

"Dinnae ken." Bobby raises his eyebrows at him.

"Is it possible the scot in ye is starting to make a come back? I thought it only came out when ye were drunk." She blushes.

"That, uh, that doesn't really happen anymore." He looks at her confused. "I avoid getting drunk like that so scot Maizie doesn't really come around anymore." He nods slowly and looks around, Noah looks away and scratches his head.

"Uh, babe, we should go. Bye guys." He grabs her hand and walks out the front door. Maizie stands.

"I'm going to bed." She walks into the room. Hope clears her throat and takes Oliver's hand as she stands.

"Yeah, we should too." After they're gone Bobby turns to Gary and Lottie.

"Why do I talk anymore? I just say something stupid." Lottie scrunches her nose.

"Yeah...I'm sorry. That was really stupid to say."

"I swear I didn't mean to bring that up. I was thinking about the time at the Villa when she got drunk after walking in to see Priya snogging me....which now that I think about it wasn't a good thing to look on to either." Gary shakes his head.

"Maybe we should start writing out what you say...." Bobby groans and rubs his face.

"Please do not have let me just fek this up again. No, ye know what. I'm gonna go do some damage control." Lottie raises her eyebrows.

"I don't think you should try and talk to her about it right now." 

"Oh, I'm not talking this time. I'm fixing this in a way that's one-hundred percent effective." Gary smiles.

"Alright, we'll go to our room and put in ear plugs. Come on, babe. Let's go do some making up of our own." She rolls her eyes.

"We aren't even fighting." He bites his lip.

"Then let's fight and make up." She smiles.

"I knew there had to be a reason I loved you." Bobby turns and walks to their room. Maizie is wiping off her makeup at her vanity. She avoids his eyes. He sits down on the bed.

"I'm really sorry, lass. I swear I wasn't thinking when I said that. I should've thought before I spoke. I'm sorry I made ye feel bad." She sighs and looks down.

"It's okay." He walks over and kneels down next to her.

"Hey. Please look at me." She clears her throat and keeps looking down. "Do ye think I can make Sophia's pouty face work fer me too?" She smiles.

"I don't think it would have the same effect." She looks at him. He looks into her eyes, running a hand over the spot her dimples are her lip ring sparkled in the light.

"Ye know I don't have anything against either of ye anymore. I'm not mad anymore. I'm sorry I hurt yer feelings. I love ye so much, Maizie." She nods.

"I love you too. I guess I just still feel guilty."

"Ye don't need to. I mean I know it won't go away cause I say so but if ye feel guilty just tell me and I'll do whatever I can to make ye feel better." She kisses him softly.

"Don't tell me that or I'll make you go get me ice cream in the middle of the night." He laughs.

"I can't blame ye fer trying." Her kisses her again, slowly deepening it. He bites her lip, bringing his hand up to her face. She moans softly against their kiss.

"You want to-"

"Like ye wouldn't believe." She stands and he kisses her deeply, picking her up. He takes her to their bed and gently places her down, both of them get under the covers. She pulls his shirt off and kisses him again, running her hands across his chest and shoulders.

"You're so hot." He smiles and bites his lip as he takes her shirt off. He looks at her chest confused.

"It might just be me but I think those have gotten bigger." She blushes.

"It's part of pregnancy...." He smiles.

"Tell me why we didn't do this sooner." She laughs and pulls him for another kiss. He unclips her bra and slides it off her. He trails his kisses down her neck to her chest, lightly tracing her collar bone with his tongue. He moved down to her breast and starts teasing her nipples. She moans softly, he gently pulls her pants and panties off. He teases her nipples while he runs his hand down her body, between her legs. She bites her lip and arches her back. Her breathing gets faster as he moves his hand faster. He moves down and puts his mouth on her between her legs, making her gasp.

"Fuck, Bobby." It doesn't take long for her to come. She sits up and kisses him hard, biting his lip. He moans as she runs her hands into his hair. She quickly pulls his pants down and puts her mouth on him. He bites his lip as he looks down at her. He holds her hair back as she looks up at him and meets his eyes. She licked up his length before taking him all the way into her mouth without breaking eye contact. He holds off as long as he can before he comes. He lays down next to her and she cuddles into him. For a while they're just silent. "Are you happy?" He looks at her confused.

"I'm the happiest I've ever been in my whole life. I get to go to sleep and wake up to yer gorgeous face everyday and we adopted a beautiful little girl and we're having a son together. Half of our best friends are moving up here to be with us. Everyday I wake up feeling so grateful I let Big Jonno talk me into applying fer the show." She looks at him and smiles.

"You mean that? You still think I'm gorgeous? What about when I get bigger and gain more weight?"

"Lass, yer weight doesn't mean anything to me. No matter what the number is yer gorgeous inside and out. I fell in love with yer soul not yer body. And the bigger part is cause yer growing our son. I don't care if ye get bigger or smaller, I'll always love ye." She leans up and kisses him gently. She rolls over and he pulls her closer to him. He moves her hair aside and looks at her tattoo on her back. "Ye think I should get a tattoo?" She looks at him surprised.

"Do you think you can handle it?" He gasp.

"Ouch, that hurts. Obviously it's gonna hurt but I think I can."

"Well start off with a small one first and see if it's something you want to keep doing. Then we can work up to it." He smiles.

"Ye don't think I can handle it? I do have a pretty high pain tolerance."

"Eh, debateable." He raises his eyebrows.

"Oh, really? Do I need to remind ye that pain turns me on? I like pain....well when it comes from ye." She blushes and bites her lip as she looks back at him.

"Maybe I do need a reminder..." He smiles and starts kissing her neck, running his hand down her body.

"Turn around and I'll show ye." She smiles and turns over so she's facing him again. He looks into her eyes, getting lost in them. His heart pounded as she stared back into his. He slowly leans down and kisses her softly, building up the intensity. She bites his lip and scratches his back. She wraps her leg around him and pulled him closer. His grip on her thigh tightened. "Fek I love it when ye do that." She moves her kisses to his neck and bites his neck. He sees her thigh tattoo and squeezes her thigh tight. She scratches down his back and bites him again. 

"Fuck me." He bites his lip and holds her leg higher, thrusting into her. She gasp. "Oh this is new."

"Lass, there's all kinds of things we haven't done." He kisses her again as he moves. They cling to each other, their hearts beating together. He felt so close to her, like the first time they were together. Except he knew what she wanted when she wanted it. He loved every time they were together like this, and not just because it was sex. He loved the taste of her lips, the feeling of her nails digging into his skin, they she said his name, their bodies fused together. He could feel every emotion she had and see them in her eyes. She didn't have any walls anymore, making her completely transparent to him. He rests his forehead against her, she ran a hand down his chest, lightly tracing her nails across his skin. She looked into his eyes, making him get lost again. He could see all the love and affection in her eyes.

"I love you."

"I love ye too." He kisses her as he tightens his grip on her thigh. He thrust harder making her moan louder. He smiled. "Lass, yer gonna wake Sophia up." She blushes.

"Good point." She traces her kisses along his jaw to his neck. She moans loudly as she bites him. "Fuck you're gonna make me come. Make me come, Bobby." He clings to her, his pulse racing. He showers her with kisses on her face and neck.

"Ye mean everything to me. As long as yer next to me I don't care what happens." She looks into his eyes, shocked at his submission. Her eyes welled with emotion, tears threatening to fall. She places a hand on his cheek.

"You and me forever, us against the world." He kisses her, letting his passion for her guide him. She climaxed hard and clung to him. He holds onto her hips tight and thrusts hard into her before he finally comes. For a minute they lay there still fused together trying to catch their breath. They look into each others eyes. "You've never opened up like that before. Like you've always told me how you feel about me, but that time...something was different. Your eyes looked different."

"So did yers."

"Do you feel really vulnerable right now?" He nods.

"Aye. But not scared." She smiled at him affectionately. 

"Me either." She kisses him softly. "We need to get dressed though. Sophia will be up at some point and neither of us need to be naked when her or Bruno comes in." He chuckles.

"True." They quietly get dressed and get back in bed. He looks into her eyes intently. She blushes.

"What?" He shakes his head.

"I think that's the first time ever both of us have been completely...transparent. It felt like it did when we were in the Villa...but better." She smiles and cuddles into him, looking at him.

"It really was. Did you ever think this is where we would end up?"

"No, but when I met ye I had really hoped we would. Grant it things haven't exactly gone according to plan but we make a good team." She kisses him softly once.

"That we do." She kisses him again making him get lost in it. For a while they just snog, eventually pulling apart. "Goodnight, babe."

"Goodnight, lass." She turns over and cuddles into him, her body fitting perfectly against his. He wraps on arm around her and holds her close. Before long they're fast asleep.


	25. Family Matters

Bobby lays in bed sleeping next to Maizie. Gary, Lottie and Sophia tip toe into the room. Sophia crawls onto the bed and squishes herself between Maizie's back and Bobby's chest. Bobby doesn't open his eyes but readjust to fit her in.

"Morning, love." Gary lays down next to Bobby and wraps his arm around him.

"Morning, babe." Bobby laughs and turns to look at him.

"Morning Gary. Did ye miss me?" Lottie lays down next to Maizie.

"Good morning, hun." Maizie smiles and looks around.

"What's all this?" Sophia smiles at her.

"We wanted to be the first to say happy anniversary!" Gary leans his head on his hand and looks at them.

"A year ago today you two crazy kids got married." Bobby smiles at Maizie.

"So it is. Happy Anniversary, babe." She beams at him.

"Happy Anniversary." Lottie sits up and looks at them.

"The three of us...well me and Sophia mostly, made you two an anniversary breakfast. So hurry up and get up. Come on, Soph. Let's go get you something to eat before Maizie gets in there and finds the French toast." Maizie sits up.

"There's French toast?" Gary smiles and picks up Sophia, running out the room.

"Hurry, Soph!" Lottie winks at them.

"Don't be too long celebrating you crazy kids." Maizie smiles at Bobby, making his heart beat faster. He leans over to her and kisses her passionately. She sighs happily and kisses him back. He pulls away smiling.

"I have something fer ye, lass." She raises an eyebrow. "Close yer eyes." She does what she's told and he quickly grabs the present out of it's secret hiding spot. He sits back down on the bed and holds it out. "Open." She sees the tiny box, wrapped in sparkling green paper, and squeals. 

"You shouldn't have!" He laughs and kisses her cheek.

"Open it already." She takes it and tears it open. She opens the box and gasps. She pulls out a silver locket with the word _Always_ written on the front.

"Oh Bobby." 

"Open it." She opens it and sees a picture of Bobby and Sophia on one side. The other side was blank. "That side is fer when the baby comes. Look at the back." She sniffles and turns it over.

"Thank you for being my sun. Love, Bobby." She wipes her eyes and looks at him. "This is...perfect. No one has ever given me something so thoughtful." She leans forward and kisses him softly. He looks into her eyes and wipes some tears away.

"I never thought that I needed anything else. I liked the way my life was before the Villa. But as soon as I met ye I knew that my life would never be the same. We've been through hell together in the first year we were together, but we always came back to each other. Which shows me we're definitely meant to be." She holds it up. 

"Help me put it on?" He smiles and takes it, putting it on her. She turns around and touches it lightly, looking at him lovingly. She kisses him passionately. "Think we can get away with a quick one?" He smiles.

"I think we can do some bits." He puts pillows behind her back, she raises an eyebrow. "What? Yer 26 weeks and shouldn't be on yer back cause it's not good fer the baby." She looked at him confused. "I might be reading a pregnancy book..." She smiles.

"Aww really? That's so cute." He blushes and kisses her, running his hands across her body. He puts his hand down her panties without breaking their kiss. She moans softly against his lips. She gasped lightly as he sticks his fingers in her.

"Fek, lass. Yer so damn sexy." He bites her lip softly as he starts moving his hand. She moans again.

"You're so good at that." He smiles.

"At what?" She bites her lip and blushes.

"You know...with your...hands." He kisses her cheek.

"Don't go shy on me. Ye can talk much dirtier." She pulls him to her and kisses him hard. She reaches into his pants and starts stroking him. He moans against her lips. She bites his lip.

"I like it when you finger me." He moans again. "Is that better?"

"Much better." He kisses her neck down to her shoulder. He marks her shoulder. He rubs her with his thumb while moving his fingers in and out of her. She bites her lip and tries to stifle her moans. She strokes him faster and bites him. She quickly reaches pleasure. Her free hand scratches him as she bites his lip. "Fek, Maizie." She bites his neck as she digs her nails into him again. "Fek, yer gonna make me come." She whispers in his ear.

"Then come." He kisses her hard, moaning against their kiss. She bites his lip again and scratches him, sending him over the edge. 

"Fek, lass." She bites her lip and looks down.

"That looks hot." He smiles and kisses her.

"We can do that again later. Right now we need to clean up and get dressed." Afterwards in the dining room, Noah walked in with Ainsley behind him and smiled at them.

"Happy Anniversary!!!" He runs to Bobby and hugs him.

"Thanks, mate! What're ye doing here? Ye were here last weekend." Maizie shrugs.

"Just move here, bruv. Ye live here half the time anyway. Instead of wasting all that money flying back and forth every few days just move here." She waves her hand dismissively before sipping her tea. Bobby smiles and shrugs.

"I told him the same thing." Sophia frowns at him.

"Hey. Don't I get a good morning?" Noah smiles and walks up to her.

"You're absolutely right, sweetheart. I'm sorry. Good morning, love." He kisses her cheek dramatically, making her laugh. Ainsley kisses Maizie's cheek and hugs Bobby.

"Happy Anniversary you two." She walks up to Lottie and Sophia, kissing both their cheeks and hugging Gary. "Morning, loves. What are we doing today?" Hope and Oliver walk in the door. Hope beams at them.

"Besides celebrating two of our favorite people being married a year?" She runs over and hugs both of them and kiss Sophia on the cheek. Oliver hugs Bobby and kisses Sophia and Maizie's cheeks. Maizie smiles at everyone. 

"Thank you everyone for the anniversary wishes. We appreciate it." Ainsley notices her locket.

"Oh, exchanging presents already?" Maizie beams and shows it off.

"Yes! Well he is, mine will be later. But look at! Isn't it gorgeous?" Hope reads the front of it, getting a confused look on her face.

"Why does it say _Always_?" Maizie smiles at Bobby.

"It's a Harry Potter thing. They say it throughout the whole series but the mast famous part is when Snape confesses to Professor Dumbledore he still loves Lily, Harry's mum." Noah nods at Bobby.

"Nice one, mate." Ainsley opens it.

"Aww, look! It's Bobby and Sophia, how sweet. Is the other side for the baby?" Maizie nods. 

"It's engraved on the back too." Lottie comes over and turns it over.

" _Thank you for always being my sun. Love, Bobby._ Aww, you guys. That's so cute, it almost makes me want to throw up it's so adorable." Bobby and Maizie laugh at her.

"Thanks, Lozza. It's good to know our love still makes ye sick. Not much has changed then." She shrugs.

"You're welcome." Sophia crawls into Bobby's lap. "So I read about this festival they have going on today. It's called GlasGlow. It's supposed to be really fun for kids." Maizie smiles.

"Sounds fun. And then we'll go to Shaun's later?" Hope looks at them confused.

"Who's Shaun?" Olly looks at her.

"Remembered the red haired lad? With the beard?"

"Oh yeah. What's he doing?"

"Every year he does a bonfire. Usually that's as much as he does but this year he added making turnip lanterns and apple bobbing. He thought Sophia would be bored with just that. He invited his nieces too so she wouldn't be alone." Noah smiled at Sophia.

"You've got everyone wrapped around your little finger don't you, princess?" She giggles as he pokes her ribs.

"I can't help it if I'm adorable." She flips her hair, making everyone laugh. Bobby looks at Maizie.

"I think yer attitude is rubbing off on her, lass." Gary shrugs.

"Her or Lottie, maybe both. Either way it's not a bad thing. We adore them both." Oliver points at Gary.

"Very true." After they finish eating breakfast Maizie walks up to Bobby and wraps her arms around his waist.

"Well hello handsome. It must be my lucky day." He bites his lip and kisses her neck, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I can make it a whole lot better. Maybe we can pick up where we left off this morning." She giggles and swats his arm.

"Not yet, babe. First I need you to get dressed. I have a surprise to show you." He looks at her suspiciously.

"Dinnae ken, lass. Why do I feel like I'm gonna get hurt?" She laughs.

"You won't, I promise." He gives her a quick peck.

"Okay, then give me a few minutes." A little while later they get to downtown. 

"Okay, now close your eyes."

"Why?"

"Cause it's a surprise. I don't want you to see it before I'm ready." He sighs and closes his eyes. After another minute he feels the car stop. His door opens and Maizie helps him out. She puts his hand on her shoulder. "Okay, I'm going to lead you so just don't let go or you'll probably fall...which would be funny but I can't help you up." He laughs. 

"That's rude, I better not let go then." She leads him forward and he hears her messing with something before he hears a door open. 

"Okay, now watch your step. It goes a smidge higher."

"A smidge?"

"Oh, shut up. Just step a little higher than normal." He smiles and follows her in. Once inside she removes his hand. "Okay, ready? Open!" He opens them and looks around. They're inside what looked like an empty café. There were some tables and chairs scattered around, the walls were a nice light blue but no pictures. There was a giant chalkboard above the counter on the back wall that was empty. A big display case sat next to a polished oak counter.

"What is this place? I don't remember being in here before."

"This is your new bakery." He looks at her stunned.

"My what?"

"Your bakery. The girls helped me clean it up and Gary did repairs and added the display case. Noah chose the paint colors and chairs. Lottie and Oliver painted it, Hope and Ainsley cleaned it. I supervised....they wouldn't let me help. Had a nice nap though." He smiles and stares at her stunned.

"What....when? How? Why?" She laughs.

"I've been working on it a few weeks now. I used my portion of the Love Island money for the renovations, I bought it from the previous owner, and because I love you. You've always wanted your own bakery but I knew you wouldn't take the chance unless someone pushed you. So I did the hard work for you. Now you get to decide the finishing touches." He hugs her tightly.

"I don't even know what to say."

"Wow, that literally never happens. Take down the date, I want to remember this moment." He laughs and takes her hand, their fingers tangled together. He rest his head against hers.

"Yer the most amazing person I've ever met, Maizie. I don't know why ye chose me but I'm so damn happy ye did. I love ye so much. No one has ever done anything so special before in my life." 

"Well that's sad cause you definitely deserve it." He leans down and kisses her deeply. He loved how her kisses always tasted sweet, how she responded to him as soon as their lips touched, the way she smelt like coconuts and sunshine all the time. He gets lost in her embrace, not even hearing the door open. Someone clears their throat, making him turn around.

"Seanmhair, Seanair! What're ye doing here?" His grandpa beamed at him.

"Maizie called us of course! It's been almost a year and you still haven't come to visit us." He runs up and hugs his grandparents tightly.

"I'm sorry. Stuff has been really crazy. I swear we were trying to plan it out. But with the third trimester quickly approaching and Sophia being in school-" He stares at them. "I didn't even tell ye!" His grandma laughed and patted his cheek gently.

"Don't worry, Maizie has been calling us and keeping us updated. We know all about Sophia and the baby." Her eyes were twinkling with joy. He looks at Maizie, stunned once again. She blushes and shrugs. He smiles at her and walks up to her, kissing her again. She smiles against his kiss.

"Keep it PG. I don't think Papa and Nana want to see that." He laughs and pulls away, looking into her eyes.

"I swear I'm the luckiest man ever. I don't deserve ye but I love ye so much." She blushes.

"I love you too, Bobby. And you do deserve it so stop saying that." She walks up to his grandparents and hugs them both. His grandpa gently patted her belly.

"Oh, look at you! You're glowing, I swear you're even prettier than you were last time I saw you." She smiles at him and brushes her hair over her shoulder.

"Thanks, it's this new diet I'm on. It's called eat whatever this boy craves." His grandma laughs and kisses her cheeks.

"Does he ever let you sleep?"

"Sometimes, he loves to wake up at night though. Drives me crazy but it's worth it. He has Bobby's constant need to move alright." Bobby smiles and wraps his arms around her from behind. She leans into him and smiles at him.

"So, surprise. Happy anniversary, babe." He kisses her cheek.

"Happy anniversary, lass." He looks at his grandparents. "So how'd ye know about this place? When did ye get here?" His grandma looks at Maizie.

"Maizie told us to come here. And we just got here. She planned this all out, you've got quite the woman." He looks at her lovingly.

"I really do, she's one of a kind." His grandpa clears his throat.

"This is a nice place but I want to see my great granddaughter! So can we go back to the flat?" Maizie laughs.

"Yes, Papa. Let's go home." A few minutes later they pull into the driveway. Papa and Bobby carry the bags in while Maizie and Nana walk arm in arm, talking about pregnancy and babies. Bobby admires how sweet she looks every time she talks to his family like that. He loved how she smiled and laughed with his grandma like she did with his mum. _**I've never loved anyone like I love her, I swear I'm the luckiest lad in the whole universe to have found someone like her.**_ His grandpa bumped him with his shoulder.

"Let's go, lover boy." He smiled at him and kept walking. As soon as they were inside every exclaimed in surprise. Oliver runs up to them and hugs them.

"What're ye doing here???" Nana points to Maizie and smiles.

"Thank her. She arranged everything." Oliver kisses her cheek and hugs Papa.

"I swear, yer the best sister ever." She laughs.

"I'm your only sister, dummy." Ainsley runs up and hugs them.

"I missed you two!" They look between Oliver and Ainsley. Papa raises his eyebrows.

"So are you two still together?" Oliver and Ainsley look at each other and blush. Oliver clears his throat.

"Uh, no. We decided we were better mates than boyfriend and girlfriend. But we're still really close." He grabs Hope's hand. "And actually this is my girlfriend, Hope." Nana looks at her suspiciously.

"Aren't you quite a bit older? And weren't you with that boy over there?" Noah blushes as Ainsley takes his hand.

"He's actually my boyfriend now...it got a little confusing for a while...." Their grandparents raise their eyebrows and looks between the four of them. Papa looks at them confused.

"So both couples broke up for the other person is basically what happened?" Oliver shrugs.

"It's a little more complicated than that but aye. Anyway, moving on." Sophia runs up to Bobby and he picks her up, kissing her cheek.

"Love, this is Nana and Papa. They're my grandparents and yer great grandparents." He looks at his grandparents. "And this is Sophia, our daughter." Nana beamed at her.

"Oh my goodness! How precious! It's so nice to meet you, Maizie has told me so much about you." Sophia smiles at her. Papa smiled shaking his head looking at Bobby.

"Her eyes are gorgeous." Bobby nods.

"Right! They're as beautiful as Maizie's. Ye get lost in them. Wait until she gives ye the face to try and get her way...ye'll probably lose. I always do, she's too cute....she might be a little spoiled." Papa laughs and pats his shoulder.

"Your dad was the same way when you two were little." Sophia gets down and pulls and Papa's shirt.

"Want to come see my room?"

"Absolutely. Give me the grand tour, honey." She smiles and takes their hands, leading them to her room. Oliver look awkwardly between Hope, Ainsley and Noah.

"Yeah...I wasn't prepared fer that. But went better than I expected." Noah shrugs and lowers his voice.

"Until they find out everything that happened." He blushes and avoids Bobby's eyes. Bobby walks over and puts an arm around him.

"What makes ye think they're gonna find out? If no one says anything, they won't know. They don't need to. We've all moved past it so it's not important anymore. All they need to know is ye didn't work out and ye found love with someone else. Who cares about the details?" Noah smiles at him.

"Thanks, mate." Bobby pats his back.

"Anyway, I wanted to say thanks to everyone fer helping Maizie with the bakery. And thanks a lot Noah fer not having my back there. Yer my best mate and ye didn't even tell me." Noah laughs.

"Why would I ruin the surprise? Besides, Lottie threatened me and I don't want to find out how much of those threats she would actually follow through on. And Maizie used the baby as leverage...you girls really know how to make someone be quiet." Maizie and Lottie high five.

"Duh, we're badass. You should be very afraid of us." Noah smiles.

"I am, trust me. But I take it you liked it, Bobby?" He beams at them.

"I was speechless." Gary raises an eyebrow.

"What was that like?" Maizie laughs.

"It was really, really weird." Bobby wraps her in his arms again.

"Yer such a punk, lass. It was only fer like a minute." She stuck her tongue out.

"But you love me." He kisses her cheek.

"More than anything." He kisses her softly. Lottie clears her throat.

"Okay, break it up you two. We don't want to watch you dry hump each other." Bobby laughs and pulls away.

"Why not? We're hot together." Maizie winks at her.

"We put on quite a show." Lottie nods.

"I know. I watched us on Love Island and I must say you two are very dirty. I had to cover Gary's eyes." Hope leans to Maizie.

"You should have seen Chelsea when she saw you two. I think Bobby surprised her a whole lot." Bobby blushes and clears his throat.

"I'm gonna go save Seanmhair and Seanair from Sophia. Ye have fun talking about our sex life." He walks away and goes to Sophia's room, stopping just outside the door. He sees Papa sitting on Sophia's bed while she shows him the music box Bobby and Maizie got her when she first came home. She opened it so the music played.

"My mum and dad surprised me with this our first day home. It's exactly like the one I used to have the my first mum gave me. But it got broken so they found this one. Sometimes I can get Bobby to dance with me." Nana smiles at her.

"That's sweet. So are you happy here?" Sophia nods.

"Yeah, they're great parents. I hear Bobby say a;; the time he thinks he's not a good enough dad and doesn't know what he's doing but I think he's a great daddy." Papa smiles at her.

"You have some amazing parents, huh?"

"Yup. He's so much better than my other daddy, he's never hurt me or yelled at me like him. And Maizie always plays with me and reads with me. She always turns on music and we have dance parties. I like living here with them, I hope they don't go away too." Nana looks at her sadly.

"What makes you think they're going away?"

"Everyone I know leaves. My grandma did, my brother did, my other mum and dad did. My dad I wasn't upset about because he was mean but my mum...she said she would never leave me and she did. Everyone leaves. Bobby's mum and dad left too, he's still sad about it." His heart broke. She'd never told him or Maizie anything like that. Papa speaks to her softly.

"Sweetheart, you're absolutely right. Everyone leaves at some point and nothing you do is going to stop it. But that's what life is."

"Leaving?"

"No. Living. You've got to live everyday like it's your last because it could be. Everyday is not promised but that should encourage you to love completely and don't back down. You'll learn the most beautiful souls are the ones who have hurt the most and love the most." Bobby smiles and walks in.

"Papa, I was just thinking about something."

"What's that?"

"I was just thinking how does Maizie do it?"

"Do what?"

"Love the way she does. She's been through a hell of a life since the day she was born. All she ever felt was pain and the lack of love yet she is the most gorgeous, caring, sweet and loving person I've ever met. She wears her heart on her sleeve and never backs down." He looks at Sophia and smiles. "Everything she's been through tears a lot of people down, it sends them down a dark and hard path. But she refused to do that and made her own path. She chose to use all those fears and all that pain to make her strong and love with everything she has." Sophia looks at him confused.

"What kind of pain?" He pulls her into his lap.

"The exact same kind ye have. Except hers happened until she was old enough to fight back."

"How did she learn to be strong?" He shrugs.

"That's something ye'll have to ask her. She'll be more than happy to talk to ye about it, she wants ye to love like she does."

"Would she talk to me about it right now?"

"All ye can do is ask. But I think she would." He pulls out his phone and texts Maizie, a minute later she comes in with a worried expression.

"Is everything okay? What's wrong?" She sits down and pulls Sophia into her lap from Bobby's. He looks at her.

"Sophia has some questions fer ye that I can't answer. I know ye wanted to wait until she was older but she's having a hard time figuring this all out and I think ye could really help her with it." Maizie looks at him a minute, worry and fear shining in her eyes. He takes her hand and kisses it. "Not one thing ye say is gonna change how any one of us feel about ye. We'll still love ye. But she needs ye and I can't do this part. It's yer story not mine." She looks at him a minute longer and nods. He kisses her softly and kisses Sophia's cheek. "We'll be out here when yer done." His grandparents follow him out the room. Papa grabs his pipe and looks at Bobby.

"Like to come with me?" He shrugs and follows him outside. When they sit down Papa turns to him and looks at him a minute.

"What?" He smiles at him.

"Sophia said you don't think you're a good enough dad." 

"Yeah, I heard that. But she's not wrong. I didn't know she was around when I said that, I said it when she left the room."

"Do you know what you just did in there?"

"Make her feel better?"

"But you did it just like your dad would've. You're just like him, which is a good thing. You may not think you're a good dad or were ready to be one but you are. And you opened an opportunity for Sophia to start healing. And help heal the pain Maizie still feels. You just gave them a special bond that Sophia probably has never shared with anyone, even her own mum. I wish your dad could've seen that." Bobby smiles.

"I wish he could see everyday of our lives. I wish he was still here. That way he could tell me what to do and to stop being stupid." Papa chuckles.

"That's the thing though. Being a parent means you do everything in your power to raise your children to be good people. Then when the time comes you have to let them go and hope they can make it on their own. When they become adults themselves you can't hold their hand and walk them through it anymore. It's like learning to swim or ride a bike. It might take a few tries and it's probably gonna hurt at some point, but you'll figure it out. Other people can show you how to do it and tell you how to do it but you won't learn until you actually do it yourself. He did everything he could do when he had the chance. And so did your mum. They instilled more wisdom than you'll ever know. You don't need them here because they've already taught you everything, you just have to remember how they did it and learn from it." Bobby thinks a moment. "And if you have any questions you've still got us. We may be in Jamaica but we do have phones." Bobby chuckles.

"Thanks, Seanair."

"Anytime. I'm really proud of you and the man you've become. Seeing you with your friends and family is amazing. For a while I wasn't sure you'd ever get here. But you've managed to find your way." 

"I'm still trying to."

"You're making progress though."

"Doesn't feel like it."

"But you are. Trust me. The man I just saw in Sophia's room is not the man I knew two years ago. And that's a good thing. I don't have to worry about you anymore. I know your parents are extremely proud of you." They sit in comfortable silence for a while before heading out to the festival and Shaun's. Maizie and Sophia stuck by his side the whole night, except when Gary or Noah was around. While they were at Shaun's Bobby pulled Maizie aside.

"Wanna go fer a walk? Noah said he'd watch Sophia." She looks at him confused.

"Do you even know where to go here?"

"Uh, duh. I've known Shaun my whole life and we've been all over this farm since we learned to walk." She smiles and bites her lip.

"Okay. It'll be nice to get some alone time." He nods at Shaun as they walk by, Shaun winks at him. He takes her down a path that goes through the nearby woods. Maizie clings to him closer, her hands sweaty.

"Are ye scared, lass?"

"Uh, it's Halloween and we're walking through the dark woods alone. Yes I'm scared." He smiles and puts an arm around her.

"It's fine, I promise. We'll be okay." A little bit later they walk through a clearing onto a hill. The hill is covered in soft grass, overlooking a view of the land below them. The moon and stars sparkle in their reflection on the pond nearby. Maizie gasps as she looks at it. He looks at her in the moonlight, his heart pounding and his stomach fluttering with butterflies.

"It's so gorgeous." Her eyes twinkled like the stars, her cheeks perfectly rosy from the cold, her lips shining from lip gloss, her curls swaying in the wind. 

"Aye it is." He pulled a curl out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. She looked at him and smiled when she saw he meant her. He put a hand on her cheek and looked into her eyes. "I'm still so in love with ye, lass. Everyday I wake up and see ye sleeping cuddled into me I thank God I met ye." He leans his head against hers. "Yer my strength. Yer my lifeline, my everything." He slowly leans in, stopping just before their lips meet. Her breath catches in anticipation. He smiles and kisses her, his hand moving from her cheek to her hair. His arm wrapped around her waist. She wraps her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. His heart pounded hard against his chest, almost hurting. Her embrace was intoxicating to him and he still couldn't believe she'd chosen him. He no longer felt any walls between them, he knew every single part of her soul and she knew his. Everyday still felt like the first day they were together. He prayed every single night to wake up next to her and live another amazing day by her side. He still feared losing her but he cherished being with her that much more. He finally pulls away breathless, her hand resting on his chest. He put his hand on hers and looked into her eyes again.

"I love you."

"I love ye too." 

"I need to talk to you about something."

"Anything."

"It's about when the baby comes. When I deliver. If it came to me or the baby who would you choose?" He stares at her a minute and frowns.

"Why?"

"Please answer me. Who would you choose? There's no wrong answer, I just want to know." He thinks a minute.

"I'd choose ye. Don't get me wrong I don't want to make that choice but I'd choose ye. I can't live without ye, not right now." He searched her eyes for some kinds of answer or give to why she wanted to know. "Which would ye want me to choose?" She doesn't even hesitate.

"The baby."

"Why? We can have more kids, they won't replace the one we lose but we can still build a family. If ye aren't here...I don't think I could do it. Be a good parent." She smiles softly.

"I've been putting myself through hell to bring him into this world, the one thing I want more than anything is for him to be here with you and Sophia. Even if I have to give everything up for it to happen. My job is to make sure he survives. If you choose me...I'll have failed again."

"Ye didn't fail last time." She nods.

"It still feels like I did. But either way, choose him." He shakes his head.

"No, I can't."

"Would you still love him?"

"Well of course I would. He's my son."

"Then that's all that matters."

"What about Sophia? She needs ye." She shakes her head.

"No, she needs you. Yeah she loves me but you and are have a much different and more special bond. If she has you she'll be okay." 

"Maizie, why are ye asking me this? Is there something ye need to tell me? Is everything okay?"

"Everything is perfect. This is just something we need to figure out beforehand. Anything can happen and we need to be fully prepared." His eyes stung at the thought of losing her. She places a hand on his cheek. "I'm still here with you and Sophia. Don't look like that." She stands on her tippy toes and kisses him again. He kisses her like she won't be here tomorrow. He clings to her for as long as he can, not wanting this moment to end. Finally he pulls away, out of breath. She smiles at him, making his insides melt and easing his worries. 

"We should probably head back now. Sophia will be missing us. Plus I just realized I left my grandparents alone with our mates who are all completely insane." She laughs, sounding like music to his ears.

"Let's go rescue them then." He wraps his arm around her shoulders and leads her back to the others. Worry still stuck to the back of his mind, he tried his best to make the most of every moment he spent with everyone...especially Maizie and Sophia.


	26. Torn to Pieces

Bobby is putting some fresh lemon berry scones in the case when he hears squeals. He looks around and sees some girls smiling at him, he looks at Dean his eyebrows raised. Dean clears his throat and waltzes over.

"Babes, ye have more fans." He sighs.

"Really? I feel like now they're coming to Scotland just to see me now. It went from being recognized once in a while to weekly dozen of girls come to visit me." Dean shrugs.

"To be fair I can almost guarantee when Maizie has the baby that she's going to be getting a lot of fans too." 

"Mate, she gets them now even when she's pregnant. People just do not care." He hears giggling and sees the girls looking at him again. "Maizie isn't here though. I'm not sure she would be okay with this. She's been a bit...worried I'm gonna look elsewhere cause she's so far along."

"How many weeks is she?"

"What's today?"

"January 13th." He thinks a minute.

"37 weeks I think. We're getting close. And it's making her really anxious, she's constantly going on walks. Her nerves are starting to make Bruno anxious." One of the girls comes over.

"Excuse me? Can we get some help?" He looks at Dean who shrugs and walks to the back. He smiles and rolls his eyes going to the counter. He clears his throat.

"What can I get ye?" The girls blush and giggle. The brown haired one leans forward just a little, showing her cleavage. Bobby doesn't look away from her eyes.

"What do you suggest?" He shrugs and smiles.

"I like all my pastries so I can't answer that. It depends what yer in the mood fer I guess." She bites her lip.

"What I'm in the mood for isn't on the menu." She looks at him up and down, making him blush. He clears his throat and scratches the back of his head.

"Well, uh, Maizie really likes the lemon berry scones and salted caramel cookies. I make those fer her all the time." The black haired one looks at him innocently.

"Who's Maizie?" He smiles.

"My absolutely gorgeous wife. She's the one I was with the whole time I was on the show. Green eyed lass with a British accent, gorgeous long brown curls, lip ring, tattoo on her thigh." He looks behind them and smiles. "Speaking of gorgeous women with British accents, ladies, this is my wife. And my son who should be here any time now and our dog Bruno." Maizie smiles at him and walks over to the counter, her hand resting on her belly and Bruno by her side wearing his service dog vest. Bobby smiles and comes around the counter. He kisses her sweetly and then her bump before scratching Bruno's ears.

"Well, hello handsome. I came here for a snack but I think I'm gonna leave with a whole different kind of snack." She bites her lip as she looks him up and down. He laughs and kisses her again.

"Ye know what talking to me like that does." She shrugs.

"I know."

"Where's Sophia?"

"She's coming in a second. She was talking to Auntie Ainsley on the phone with Uncle Noah." The blonde girl smiles.

"You all still hang out?" Maizie smiles.

"Yeah, all of us. Gary, Lottie, Hope, Noah and now my sister and Bobby's brother." Sophia runs in.

"Daddy! Auntie Ainsley said you better save her a lemon berry scone. Also can I have a cupcake?" He smiles and picks her up.

"Mummy, has she been good today?" Maizie nods.

"Very good. She helped me clean the living room of her toys." He looked at her.

"Where was Noah? Yer supposed to stay off yer feet and he's supposed to be helping with that today. Which reminds me, go sit down. Let me tell Dean to stop hiding. Come on, love." He gets Dean back to the counter and walks back over to Maizie with a cupcake for her and a cupcake for Sophia. The girls call Bobby back over to them. He winks at Maizie and walks over to them. The brown haired girl twirls her hair around her finger and leans closer to him.

"So this must be putting a lot of stress on you. New baby coming, newly adopted kid, new bakery. A lot of new things." The blonde rolls her eyes and looks at him.

"Ignore my friends. I told them seducing you was impossible. I was actually hoping to interview you as kind of a follow up from when you were on the show." He looks at Maizie.

"I'll have to talk to Maizie about it. This is really hard on her and takes all of her energy." The black haired one bites her lip.

"That must mean you need help relieving what she can't." He raises his eyebrows.

"Listen, I'm flattered but it's not happening. I'm still very in love with Maizie and still have no interest in anyone else. So thank ye fer the offer but no. She does more than enough to take care of my needs and it's honestly really disrespectful to keep hitting on a man ye know is married. It really doesn't look good on ye, I mean have a bit more self respect than that. I'm sorry fer being rude but it's starting to make me feel uncomfortable. Now if ye want to interview us ye can come with me and we'll ask Maizie but yer mates here are either gonna have to start respecting that no means no or leave." The blonde smirks and looks at her friends.

"Your call but I'm going." She follows Bobby back over to Maizie. He sits next to her and smiles at her. He kisses her cheek.

"She wants to know about an interview with us." Maizie raises her eyebrows at him.

"Does this mean you're up for it?" He shrugs.

"Maybe I need to let these people know that we're happy together still so stop hitting on us." Maizie blushes.

"Honestly, I'm the size of our flat and I don't even understand how men still find this attractive." Bobby looks at her confused.

"Noah, cover Sophia's ears. Cause yer feking hot that's how. And I think ye look even more gorgeous now than when we met so...." He shrugs and Noah takes his hands off Sophia's ears.

"You were using bad words again weren't you Daddy?" He smiles.

"Aye, love. Sorry bout that." He looks at Maizie again. "So is that a yes?" She smiles and nods. The blonde holds out her hand. 

"Perfect! I'm Marie Sanders from London. I'm a journalist for People magazine and I also run a podcast for relationship advice. If there is anything you're too uncomfortable talking about or anything you want to avoid me asking about feel free to just tell me and I won't push on it. First and most obvious question. How has life been after the Villa?" Maizie and Bobby smile at each other. Bobby clears his throat.

"It's been a journey that's fer sure. It was a big adjustment on us."

"There were some rumors you two had broken up a couple times. Would you like to address those rumors?" Maizie blushes.

"Uh, we did break up about two months after leaving the show. We got back together a few weeks later. The other two times we were technically separated not broken up." She raises her eyebrows.

"When did you two get married?"

"Halloween of 2019. He actually proposed to me that day and we went and visited his mum in the hospital, she wasn't going to make it and we knew she wanted to see us get married. So we figured why not? We knew we loved each other and we both had rings already. We asked my best mate to be our witness and kept the whole thing secret until a few months later. That was our first separation."

"What made you two separate?" Noah looks away, Maizie blushes. Bobby clears his throat.

"I slept with someone else when we had broken up and it caused some strain between us." Maizie stares at him a minute. Marie writes some more notes.

"Interesting, for your sake I will not be pushing any further on that topic. No reason to dig up old arguments, yeah? Moving on, so you said you all still hang out?" Bobby smiles brightly.

"Aye. We still talk to everyone all the time, but the ones _we_ see are Noah, Lottie, Hope and Gary. Lottie and Gary are actually our flatmates at the moment. Hope just moved here about a month ago and Noah pretty much lives here. Not sure why he hasn't taken the dive yet." He looks at Noah and raises his eyebrows. Noah shrugs.

"I'm being cautious. I don't want to rush this one." 

"You say I love you to each other and you're here basically every weekend now. If you're not ready to live with her just room with somebody. Shaun has a room available and so does Dean and Louis." Dean shouts from the counter.

"Our door is open anytime, hun!" Noah smiles at him.

"We'll come back to that." Maire looks at him confused.

"So Hope is here and you aren't? Did you two break up? My questions to you are purely because I'm nosey. I won't include them unless you want me to." He looks at Bobby nervously. Bobby gives him a reassuring smile.

"We broke up almost a year ago. But we're still really close mates and are both seeing other people. She just moved in with her boyfriend and these two are trying to convince me to move in with my girlfriend."

"May I ask if we know here?"

"It's not anyone from the Villa. It's actually Maizie's sister, Ainsley." She raises her eyebrows.

"Interesting. I'm guessing you two are okay with this?" Bobby nods.

"Of course, we love them both a lot. Plus they seem to really have something special. We kinda figured they would be a good match but when we thought about it he was still with Hope and Ainsley was dating my brother. We didn't want to interfere with their personal lives and just supported them through those relationships." She smiles.

"It's so sweet to see how loyal you all are to each other. Maizie, is Gary still your best mate?"

"Oh absolutely. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. He's so amazing we adore him." Sophia raises her hand.

"Me too! Uncle Gary is really funny. I like his jokes but Uncle Noah and Auntie Lottie say they're bad jokes. I think they're funny." Noah leans over to Bobby.

"She's five of course his jokes are funny." Bobby chuckles and gently pushes his shoulder.

"Moving on to your life together. I see you two have adopted this little angel. Would you like to tell us about that story?" Maizie smiles.

"Well, I met her and her mum when I worked in London. Her mum and her didn't have anyone except each other and we got very close. She asked me to be her godmother which of course I said yes. Besides her mum I was the only other one she completely trusted. We had actually gotten back together from our second separation for only a few days, maybe a week, when I got a call that her mum was gone. And we also had just found out I was pregnant then. This was all in September of 2020. We flew back to London right away and took her in. She's been ours ever since." She smiles and looks at Sophia.

"Is it okay if I ask how you're feeling about all this and getting a new brother?" Sophia nods.

"Yeah. I'm happy with them. They're really good parents and never yell at me. We always go and do lots of fun stuff together and we always have a bunch of people at our flat. They made me feel welcomed since the beginning. I'm really excited to have a brother because I like being the only girl." Marie laughs.

"Understandable, I'm the same way. I have two brothers and I'm the youngest so I'm extra spoiled." She looks back at Maizie and Bobby. "This next series of question may be difficult and you don't have to answer these. If you don't want to you are more than welcome to say no. There were some rumors that you were hospitalized in March, Maizie. Is that true?" Maizie's grip tightened on Bobby's hand. He kissed her hand and gave her a gentle squeeze back. Maizie clears her throat.

"Yes, they're true."

"May I ask why?" She closes her eyes a minute. Bobby lifts her chin so she looks at him.

"If yer not ready then don't. Don't push yerself, lass." She smiles at him.

"I think I need to." She looks at Noah. "Why don't you take Sophia to go see Nana Susan and Papa Jonno? Is that okay, bug?" Sophia pouts.

"But I want to be with you." Maizie smiles at her.

"I promise we'll see each other very soon. Nana Susan was just telling me she needed someone to go shopping with." Sophia gets up and walks to the door.

"Let's go Uncle Noah! Bye Mum, bye Dad!" Bobby laughs and looks at Maizie.

"I swear she's just like ye." Maizie shrugs.

"Back to the question. This gets dark so you may need to filter it. I was hospitalized because my abusive ex-boyfriend found me. He manipulated me and beat me. The last time he beat me up was the first time I fought back. I had quite a bit of injuries and had to have two surgeries." Marie squeezes Maizie's hand.

"If you want to stop at any time just say so. If you need a moment we can stop, just say when." Maizie smiles and nods. "May I ask how you escaped?" Maizie beams at Bobby.

"This crazy Scot is how. Three weeks before I was hospitalized I called him in the middle of the night to tell him my ex was there but he didn't answer. He called me the next day and I gave him a coded message. I told him I was getting flowers again, which confused him because he knew I hated getting flowers because my ex used to get them after he hit me. It took a couple weeks but he figured it out and got some of the lads together and went to my flat. The other three held off Alex while Bobby found me." Marie smiles at them.

"Man you two have one hell of a story. So did your ex bother you after that?"

"Yes. Which is actually why we separated a second time. He was starting to go to my mates to try and find me. Once he tried to hurt one mate I left so he couldn't hurt anyone else. I couldn't risk something happening to Bobby. He didn't know where Bobby was and if I wasn't with Bobby then he wasn't at risk because he only cared about getting to me."

"What happened to him? Did he get put in prison?"

"No, he was actually murdered a few months ago. Back in July I believe."

"Why didn't you come back then?" She blushes and looks at Bobby. Bobby sighs and rubs his face.

"I was sort of seeing someone. Not officially but we were talking and starting to develop feelings. She thought she should let me be with this other girl cause she made me happy. And she did but...she wasn't Maizie. I was really confused when Maizie first came home, I mean we agreed we'd both be there fer the baby no matter what, but I was having trouble trusting Maizie and having trouble committing to this other girl."

"That must have been hard on both of you."

"It really was. This other girl ended up leaving because she wanted things I couldn't give her. But I guess I still kind of resented Maizie a bit. But when Maizie told me she was going to divorce me so I could be with this other girl I knew then that's not what I wanted. It took a couple weeks fer us to kind of figure it out but we came back out of this stronger." He kisses Maizie's hand again.

"Wow. Maizie that's true love right there. To sacrifice your happiness for him to be happy." Maizie shrugs.

"He did it first. When we separated the first time we gave each other kind of like a hall pass to do whatever with whoever and it couldn't be held against us. I was very casually dating this guy, just dates nothing else, and Bobby knew about him when he went to London to get me away from my ex. So at the hospital he let this other guy be there and sit with him in my room and kept him included. Bobby told me he loved me and wanted us to work it out but if I was happier with this other guy then he would give me a divorce. So he was the one that really showed me then what true love is really like." Marie shakes her head.

"Oh my. How has none of this gotten out yet?" They both shrug.

"We like our privacy. Being in the Villa was so stressful knowing we were being watched and judged about every thing we did or said. It helps sometimes but we didn't want the constant intrusion on our issues. And doing all this in privacy really helped our relationship. I think we're better than ever and couldn't be happier with how our life is going." Bobby smiles at her.

"Me too, lass. I'm very happy with the life we've built together. I wouldn't have it any other way." He kisses her again softly. She winces for a long minute. "Uh, what was that?" She lets out a deep breath.

"I think that was my first contraction." His eyes went wide.

"Yer what?" She laughed when she saw his face.

"Babe, relax. My water hasn't broke and that was the first one. It's not time yet." He looks at her a minute before he gets up and walks away, calling Louis. After he hangs up he walks over to Dean.

"Ye think ye can handle the shop until Louis comes to help? I wanna take Maizie home to relax, she had her first contraction but that's it." Dean smiles and looks at Maizie.

"Break that water today and Louis owes me a date night, love. Have my back on this one and I'll have yers." Maizie laughs.

"Kind of out of my control, babes. But I'll try." He turns back to Bobby.

"I've got this. Go. Call me if she goes to the hospital so we can all take shifts working to be there."

"Thanks, mate. Yer the best." He hugs him and grabs his stuff, helping Maizie stand up. Marie stands and shakes both their hands.

"Well, thank you so much for talking to me today. It's going to be a week or two before this gets published, so if you decide you want me to leave anything out just call me. Here's my card just in case. Congratulations on your growing family and good luck with the new baby." Maizie hugs her.

"Thanks, hun. You're much nicer than the other reporters." She laughs.

"I actually consider people's feelings. But thank you. I'll let you get going." They both smile at her.

"Thank ye so much. Send us a copy of that article." He guides Maizie out of the bakery and to the car, Bruno staying by Maizie's side. The rest of the day Bobby stayed by Maizie's side, anxiously looking at her every time she moved. Bruno stuck to Bobby trying to comfort him. She had a few more contractions but they were hours apart. Everyone stayed on call, waiting for the text in the group chat. Sophia stayed at Susan's flat that night since Bobby couldn't shake the weird feeling he had. Noah saw him continuously glancing at Maizie. He stands up and nods towards the back door, Bobby looks at Maizie again and follows him outside but staying in view of her.

"Mate, what's going on? It's like you're waiting for all hell to break loose."

"I have a bad feeling. Or a weird feeling. Dinnae ken. I can't shake this feeling. Maybe it's nerves maybe it's my intuition. All I know is something is going to happen. Noah..." He looks at him. "What if it's the worst possible thing?" Noah's eyes widen.

"That won't happen."

"Ye don't know that. These things can go wrong in an instant. She told me on Halloween that if it came down to her or the baby, I had to choose the baby. What if I have to make that decision? I can't do that. I chose between them once I can't do it again. She said if I choose her it'll mean she failed to take care of him like James. Mate, I'm so not ready fer this yet."

"Bobby, relax. Enjoy being with her, focus on being with her. Stop worrying about what you can't control. If it comes down to that you'll make a decision based on what your gut says. You'll choose the best choice. But worrying about it is only going to take away from this precious time you have with her before you two are zombies from sleep deprivation." Bobby smiles and sighs.

"Yer right. I need to relax. I need to chill. I've got this, we've got this. Ye just can't leave my side until the baby comes is all cause I'm gonna need this talk prolly ten more times." Noah laughs.

"I'll make sure to stick around then." Bobby keeps pushing all the negative thoughts out of his mind and just enjoys being with Maizie. He talks to the baby, his voice waking him up so he kicks Maizie. She winces, making Bobby and Bruno jump up. She laughs.

"I think he just kicked something, I'm fine. Relax. He slowly sits down next to her. She cuddles into him, laying on her side as she wraps her arms around him. Bruno lays back down on the floor. Her affection immediately relaxes him, making him smile. He lays back and let's her relax as they watch telly with Gary, Lottie and Noah. He looks over a few minutes later and sees she's fast asleep. He smiles and moves a curl out of her face. He wraps an arm around her, holding her closer. His heart pounded as he looked at her beautiful face. He sighs and lays back, putting a hand behind his head. He looks up and sees everyone staring at him.

"What?" Gary smiles.

"You still look at her like you did in the Villa. Hell, like you did on day one of the Villa." He blushes and shrugs.

"I still feel the same way if not stronger." Noah smiles.

"I think it's sweet. I wasn't sure you could pull it off with winning her over at first but it really didn't take long to see she loved you just as much. Even though you've broken up a dozen times." Bobby smiles and throws a pillow at him. 

"Shut up. All I'm saying is I landed the most wanted lass there. So obviously I'm doing something right." Lottie shrugs.

"You were the most wanted guy." The boys all look at her surprised. She looks at them like they're stupid. "What? He was." Gary frowns and crosses his arms.

"You're telling me that he was more wanted than me?" She nods.

"On day one the only girls not interested in him were Hannah and Hope. The rest of us definitely wanted him, which is why I chose him. And after that all the new girls had a crush on him too. Hell, I think even Arjun wanted him and he hadn't even met him." Bobby raises his eyebrows.

"Really? I was the most popular?"

"Duh. You're funny, attractive, sweet, caring, social and according to Maize a really good lay." He blushes. She looks at Gary. "Oh, come off it, babe. You literally said in the Villa that maybe you didn't give Hannah a good enough chance even though you were with me." Gary groans.

"That was over a year ago. Why are you bringing that up?"

"Because you look all upset that the girls thought Bobby was hotter than you. You were number three. Noah was number two. Rahim was number four, then Carl, Henrik, Elijah, Lucas, Kassam, Arjun, Graham, and then tied were Jakub and Felix." The boys stared at each other suspiciously. Noah shrugs.

"At least I was number two." Gary throws a pillow at him, making him laugh. "Hey, you could be Jakub or Felix." Bobby shrugs.

"Hey so when we all three shared about that means the top three most wanted lads were all in one bed." Lottie smirks at him.

"You don't even know what some of the girls thought about that...especially Maizie." Bobby's jaw drops.

"Is...is it like sexy dirty or dirty dirty?" She chuckles and shrugs.

"Use your imagination." He shakes his head.

"Nope, ye gotta tell me now. I want to know if it's like what went through our minds when ye girls went crazy snogging each other." She tries to control her smile.

"Very much like that...but with guys. Let's leave it at that." Bobby raises his eyebrows and looks at the other two lads. Maizie stirs.

"It was sexy dirty to us and dirty dirty to you. That's then only time I ever thought about Gary in that way. And it stopped there." Gary looks at her.

"Damn friendzone." Lottie looks at him shocked but seeing the humor flash in his eyes. She swats him.

"You dick." He wiggles his eyebrows.

"I can give it to you, alright." She laughs and rolls her eyes. Bobby looks at Maizie.

"Really? I didn't think women thought about things like that." She holds him closer.

"Oh, we really, really do. It's a good thing other people can't see my thoughts cause I'm a perv." He looks at her shocked.

"Is it always just me with other guys?" She laughs.

"No, girls too. I won't say who but girls too." 

"Ye gotta tell me now. Who?" She blushes and shrugs.

"Is it Lottie? Chelsea? Priya? I already know about Marisol." She avoids his eyes, still blushing. His haw drops when he realizes who she's talking about. "Babe, what? No way. Ye thought about that? When?" 

"In the Villa. I saw a picture of her and thought she was really hot. And then I heard she liked you and my imagination just went places."

"So like how did ye feel being around her then?" He wiggles his eyebrows making her laugh. She hits him with a pillow.

"Oh no. You did not just ask me about being with your ex when I'm 37 weeks pregnant with your baby." He laughs and pulls her closer.

"I'm kidding. Yer the only one I want. Yer more than enough." He kisses her softly, her lips responding to his. He smiles and pulls away. "If it ever comes to mind again though, feel free to share." She hits him with a pillow again. Noah shakes his head.

"You're a fucking idiot, mate. You're asking to sleep on the other couch." After a while, and a few cupcakes for Maizie, they all head off to bed. Bobby is getting into bed when Maizie pulls him to her and kisses him hard. She bites his lip, making him moan.

"Fek, lass. Really? Now? When ye've had contractions?"

"Hey, everything will be fine. 37 weeks is far enough along and there are less risk that there would be at 34 weeks. We're good. And it's about time we start trying to induce it naturally because I swear I'm not hitting 40 weeks. I'm so uncomfortable." He smiles at her, looking into her eyes.

"Yer a mess, lass." She kisses him again, running a hand into his hair. He moans and pulls her closer, deepening their kiss. She digs her nails into him, sending shivers down his spine. She pulls away and winces. He looks at her concerned. "Is it another contraction?" She shakes her head. He sits up, forcing his voice to stay steady. "Maizie, talk to me. Where is it?" She stops wincing after a minute, breathing heavily.

"I don't know. But I think my water might have broken." He looks under the covers, his face going pale. Bruno hops onto the bed behind Maizie and lays his head down on her. He looks into her eyes.

"Maizie, I'm going to need ye to trust me and force yerself to remain calm, okay? Do not panic or it'll make things worse. Focus on breathing I'll take care of everything else. Okay?" She looks at him worriedly and nods. "Do not look down, please." Her eyes water and she nods. "Oi! Gary! Noah! Hurry the fek up!!" A second later they come running in their eyes go wide when they see Maizie. She starts to look down and Bobby kisses her. "Lass, trust me. Please don't look." She nods. "Hold my hand. Noah call an ambulance, Gary get everything together." The boys start doing their jobs, Noah walks out of the room as he's on the phone so Maizie can't hear him. She looked at Bobby.

"Bobby? What's wrong? Please tell me something." He looks at her a minute.

"It wasn't yer water, lass. Yer bleeding. And I don't want ye to look at it." She starts breathing rapidly. "Maizie, baby, it's okay. Relax. I'm here, we've got ye, I've got ye. Slow down, breathe." He starts doing slow deep breaths with her. He doesn't leave her side the whole time, even when the paramedics get there. They walk in and look at each other. They nod and one runs to get the stretcher while the other starts taking vitals. He looks at Bobby.

"How long has it been? What was she doing?"

"It's been twenty minutes since it happened and we were just snogging. She looked like she was in pain and then said she thought her water broke." He nods and keeps checking everything over. As soon as the stretcher comes in they start putting her on it. Bobby takes the chance to get dressed quickly. He turns to Gary and Noah. "Call everyone, text Susan so Sophia doesn't know. Ye take Bruno with ye." He looks at the paramedics and they nod. He pats Noah's shoulder and follows them out of the room as he grabs their phones. In the ambulance he holds her hand tightly and wipes her tears away. "Hey, don't cry, lass. We're gonna get this figured out. Ye just relax fer now, okay?" She nods and sniffles. When they get there they immediately take her up to go do a scan to find out what was wrong. He waits in the waiting room, staring out the window with Bruno sitting beside him. Gary tried to talk to him, but he couldn't find words. Oliver tried and failed too. Lottie couldn't get a word, not even a reaction. Noah walked over and just stood there in silence. He didn't say a word or give him a look, he stood there and shared Bobby's pain. For some reason that felt more comforting than the others trying to talk to him. A nurse comes and finds him.

"Mr. McKenzie, yer wife has preeclampsia which has cause a severe placental abruption. That's when the placenta separates from the uterus. In this case it can be fatal. They preparing her fer surgery now and she wants to talk to ye but we only have a couple minutes." He runs after the nurse and catches up in the hallway. He takes her hand and smiles at her as they walk down the hallway. She sniffles.

"Bobby, I need you to make that decision." He shakes his head.

"No. I can't. How am I supposed to choose between my son and the love of my life? I can't. I had to choose once and it almost broke me." More tears spill from her eyes.

"You know what I want but you have to decide too." He shakes his head.

"Maizie...I can't. I can't be responsible fer whoever doesn't make it." She looks at him a minute.

"Bobby I'm scared." His tears started pouring too.

"Me too." The doctor clears her throat.

"Mr. McKenzie. This is as far as ye can go. Ye need to say goodbye." He looks into Maizie's eyes.

"Please fight fer me, fer us. I can't lose ye yet. Our whole relationship has been a miracle from the start. Fer some reason the universe is on our side. Please don't leave me. If ye have to choose, choose me. I chose ye and now ye have to choose me. If ye see Maw turn around, don't go. Please." She smiles at him.

"I love you so much, Bobby. Whatever happens Sophia will need you more than anyone. Don't let her hurt alone."

"I love ye too, Maizie. I always have and always will. No matter what I've got Sophia but she needs ye too. Come back to me." He looks at the doctor. "I know ye hear this all the time and it's stupid. But fight fer her when she can't fight fer herself. Please bring her back to me." The doctors eyes water and she nods.

"We'll do everything we can, I promise we'll do whatever we can." He looks at Maizie and kisses her sweetly. 

"I love ye so much."

"I love you too." They walk away leaving him behind. The doctor looks back at him through the window, a tear running down her cheek. His heart shattered. His emotions hit like a rock and he collapses against the wall, sobbing. Someone sits next to him and wraps their arms around him. He knew it was Noah by his cologne. He sobs in Noah's arms for what feels like forever.

"I can't lose her, Noah. I can't. I need her. She's everything to me. But she wants me to choose the baby...how can I choose? Noah, I can't choose between the love of my life and my son...I had to once and I can't do it again. Ye decide." Noah's voice was hoarse.

"I can't Bobby. I wish I could but I can't. This isn't my choice it's yours. I'm sorry it is but it is."

"Noah, she could die. The doctor was crying, that's not good. They almost never make it when it's this bad. Trust me I've been reading about it. Mate, I'm gonna lose her and I just found her. She was the piece I never knew was missing and I'm gonna lose her."

"Don't talk like that. I don't give a damn what the doctor thinks, I don't care what the statistics are. This is Maizie. She has fought her entire life and she'll keep fighting until it's out of her hands. She will always fight. She's stronger than anyone else we know and she can make it. You can't talk like she's already gone, you have to believe for her." Bobby just sobs until he can't anymore. Noah gets him some water and tissues. 

"What do the others think?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Noah, what are they saying?" He looks down for a minute.

"Most of them think she won't survive."

"Who thinks she will?"

"Me and Gary. Gary actually yelled at them for giving up."

He sits there and thinks about nothing but Maizie. He leans his head back and closes his eyes. The first time she walked out of the Villa flashes in his mind. He could see the sun shining behind her, making a golden halo around her brown curls. Her vibrant green eyes stealing his breath, her brilliant white smile, the sparkle of her lip ring, her light freckles trying to hide, her snort when she laughed. Her mixed up accent. The smell of coconut from her hair crème. He remembered their first kiss on the roof terrace. Her kisses were always so sweet, like honey. His heart pounded when she climbed on top of him. He remembered the fear and pain in her eyes as the tears started falling down her cheeks. He remembered the way she reads, the picture she paints in his mind. He remembers how she always got everyone to play tag, even Shannon once. She had this way to make just about anyone do anything. Her spirit was so pure. He remembered how bad her dreams used to be, the way she would wake up drenched in sweat and looking around for Alex. He remembered when they laid on the day beds and talked about their kids.

He thought back to the first time he saw her after the Villa. Her face was priceless. He loved the way she clung to him when they made love, the way she said his name. The feeling of her soft skin, the way she bit his lip. Her teaching Sophia playground games, playing dress up. Her random dance parties to brighten anyone's mood. Her soul was just pure sunshine. Her body fit into his perfectly, her hands held his perfectly. He remembered proposing to her. He remembered marrying her. He stood there at the foot of his mum's bed and stared into her eyes. Gary stood beside her beaming at them. The priest red their vows. Her eyes shone with affection and love. She smiled the whole time. They way she said I do made his heart skip a beat. Their first kiss as husband and wife was pure bliss. He couldn't believe he got to be married to tis gorgeous woman.

He remembered her pain when they separated the first time. The pain on her face. And the sound of her voice when he called. She sounded so hurt and defeated. He should've known. He remembers her telling Alex off in the cell. He remembered the night she made love to him before she disappeared again. The sound of her voice on the phone when she called him. The look on her face when she came back. She no longer hid a single thing from him, her entire soul was on display just for him. She completely gave him everything. Her choosing to love him was the best thing that's ever happened in his life.

His mum and dad loved her, his brother loved her, his grandparents loved her. He thought about what he would do or say if they told her he lost her. He thought about what he would say or do if they said they lost the baby. He loved their son so much and he wasn't even born yet. He knew his voice, his awake times, his cravings, his favorite song. He was the prefect combination of Maizie and Bobby. He loved chocolate, he couldn't sit still, he was feisty like her, his favorite song was their song. He wanted to hold him and love on him so bad. He was so excited to finally meet him. He couldn't wait to see his face for the first time. He pictured himself holding him for the first time if Maizie left. The picture tore him up. He thought about holding Maizie as they both cried from the loss of their second son. His heart barely beat anymore. He hears the door and sees a nurse running to him covered in blood. He stood up quickly.

"Bobby, ye have to decide now. Maizie or Ben. We need to know now." 

"Save who has the greatest chance. Rather that means fer recovery or fer right now choose the one that has the greatest chance...and don't tell me yet." The nurse gave him a grave look and nodded before running back through the doors. He starts sobbing again. _**Who did I save? Which thought will become my reality? Do I lose my son again or do I lose the love of my life? Who will survive this?**_ Noah holds him quietly as they cried together.


	27. Hard Road Ahead

He finally stands up and shakes his head.

"I can't sit here, I have to move, I have to go. I have to do something. I can't sit here." Noah stands up and holds his hand out, telling him to lead the way. He walks into the waiting room and sees everyone there. Gary, Lottie, Hope, Olly, Ainsley, Henrik, Chelsea, Rahim, Priya, Marisol, Rocco, Elijah, Arjun, Carl, Shannon, Jakub, Graham, Jo, Nan, Janet, Dean, Louis, Big Jonno, Shaun, Leanna and Ashleigh. Everyone he cared about and loved and even knew her was there. They look at him anxiously, every single face red and covered in tears. He couldn't find the words to speak so he looked at Noah, his eyes watering fresh tears down his face. Noah nods.

"He told them to choose whoever had the greatest chance. He doesn't know who it is yet, they didn't have time to talk. But it's not good. One of them won't make it." Everyone crumbles at the words. Bobby couldn't hold back his emotions, Noah hugs him as he sobs. The waiting room is littered with sounds of crying, sniffles, comforting words. The whole sight of it killed him. He walks out the waiting room outside. Noah follows silently. He kicks over a trashcan. 

"Fek!" He walks around in circles. "Why the fek did I do this to myself? Why did I ever let this feking happen?? I should've never even went on that damn show! I knew it was a bad idea, I knew falling in love was a bad idea. Why did I do this to myself, man? If I never met her I would be at home right now feking around. I wouldn't be hurting and miserable. Wondering who I lost and preparing fer the worst. Love Island was a mistake, this whole thing was a mistake." Noah frowns.

"Love Island was a mistake? You're saying you regret going on there? Let's forget for a minute that you did fall in love. What about me? Are you saying you regret meeting me? And Gary? Lottie? Hope? Chelsea? Rahim? And then let's think about all the people she's brought together. Chelsea and Henrik. Me and Ainsley. Hope and Oliver. And then I want you to look in that room right there. Look at every single face in there." Bobby looks at the waiting room that Noah is pointing to. He looks at all their faces, most of them watching him. Not one face didn't have tears. "Are you telling me you regret bringing all those people together? Do you see how many people not only love her but love _you_? She's not the only one everyone cares about. They see you, Bobby. They know you, they love you. And as soon as every single one of them heard what was going on they all came here immediately. Not because they wanted to be there when we found out. Because every single one of them wanted to be there for _you._ So don't start telling me you regret it all. You can be pissed or hurt or sad or whatever. But don't tell me you regret them right now. You have an actual village behind you. And then if that still isn't enough, think about Sophia. If it wasn't for Maizie you wouldn't have Sophia. And at the end of all this no matter who is gone you still have Sophia. So if you never went on the show yeah you wouldn't be here. But you wouldn't have them or me or Sophia. You're family is so much bigger than just Maizie and the kids. It's bigger then Maizie, the kids, your siblings, me, Hope, Lottie and Gary. Your family is that entire waiting room." He looks at Noah again.

"Noah, what do I do now? I don't know how to do this. What do I do?"

"All you can do. Wait and let those people love you. Stop blocking everyone out and let them support you. If you don't want to talk then that's fine but at least let them be with you." He looks back at everyone in the waiting room. Some of them he barely knew, and some of them he knew really well. He sighs and walks back in. He sits next to Shannon and Noah sits on his other side. He just sits there, staring at nothing. He listens to the others talk. Jakub chuckles.

"Do you remember when the girls came back from Casa Amor and she yelled at me? About choosing Hope, sleeping with those girls, splitting her and Bobby up? She was so fucking pissed." Priya smiles.

"I remember when she told Lucas off for choosing her." Graham smiles.

"I remember when she told Gary to stop crying over spilled milk." Gary smirks.

"And she told you to grow up." Rahim smiles.

"I remember when she worked with me on pick up lines at the Villa. Even when I smashed her toe with the chair." Bobby smiles a little. Noah smiles.

"Remember when Lucas was hitting on her after Rocco went home? She said he wasn't her type-" Lottie smiles.

"And then he said she didn't have a type." Hope giggles.

"And then she said her type was Scottish bakers with hazel eyes. And unless he could make some serious changes he didn't have a chance." Elijah looks at the girls.

"You know, she knew me and Arjun would end up together before I did." Arjun smiles at him and takes his hand.

"She's always had a gift for making good pairs." Henrik smiles and puts an arm around Chelsea.

"That she does." Bobby raised his eyebrows at him, making Chelsea smile.

"And Bobby too!" Shannon shrugs.

"Not many people can get a smile out of me but she could. She made us go get our nails done when she went to Ireland." Rocco smiled.

"She has a way with people. She just makes you want to be a better person. And her tips for the food truck really got the sales going through the roof." Marisol smiles fondly.

"She was still so nice after everything that happened with us. She's so forgiving." Noah nods.

"Tell me about it." Leanna shrugs.

"I've always liked her skills on the bass. She's pretty dam good. Her and Bobby together...nothing like it." Everyone looks at Bobby. Shaun stretches.

"Bobby plays the drums and Maizie plays the bass. It was sweet seeing them play together. That's how you make good music." Dean smiles.

"I love her attitude. She can almost out attitude Louis." Louis waves a hand dismissively.

"I like how she doesn't let Bobby be stupid. She straight up tells him to knock his shit off." Oliver smiles.

"And he does too. She's the only person besides our parents that can get him to stop being dumb." He throws a piece of paper at Bobby making him smile. Nan smiles.

"Saw that when everyone came to my flat for dinner." Carl looks at Nan.

"Which reminds me, we all need to try your roast. Sorry Graham. But she goes on and on about it." Elijah laughs.

"She's just as bad as Gary on that one." Gary smiles.

"What? Nan makes the best roast I swear. I'm not sorry Graham." He smiles at Graham who just shrugs.

"I'll give it a try." Janet looks at Nan.

"Looks like we'll have a lot of cooking to do, Mum." Hope smiles.

"Remember when Elisa said she wanted to hate her but she made it so hard? I felt that hard...Elisa was right, it's impossible to hate Maizie." Priya giggles.

"I loved Bobby's face any time she told someone they didn't have a chance. Like every time someone hit on her and she told them no. You always had the most smug look on your face." He looked up at her and smiled as he shrugged.

"I mean, I managed to get the most wanted girl in the Villa to want me. Of course I was smug, have ye met her? I had what everybody wanted...sorry lads. And Marisol." Marisol smiles at him and shrugs.

"Hey, I'm okay losing if you both were happy." Carl smiles.

"Me too." Bobby raises his eyebrows. "What? I still like you as a person. Besides, I'm seeing someone else now." Priya sits forward.

"Is it anyone we know?" He blushes and looks down. She raises an eyebrow and looks around the group, eyeing everyone suspiciously. Shannon smirks and leans over to Bobby, whispering.

"It's Marisol." Bobby raises his eyebrows and looks between Marisol and Carl. 

"I could see that." Lottie wipes a tear away.

"You know, she's really happy. Maybe not right this second but in general. She finally got to be a mum." Ainsley sniffles.

"She loves being a mum, she's so in her element. She adores both those kids so much." Bobby clears his throat.

"We both do. After losing our son from before we thought we finally had a chance to have the family we wanted. And now we won't. At this point I don't think we ever will even if she's the one that made it. This may hurt her too much. It's hurt me too much. Two babies within a year. It seems like we just aren't meant to have kids of our own. Sophia is more than enough, we love her with everything we have...it just sucks she may have to be an only child. If she makes it and he doesn't...this could really destroy us. She told me to save him, but I couldn't choose which one. I love them both too much to pick. I couldn't decide knowing I was deciding who lived and who didn't. If she lives she's gonna hate me fer not choosing him. If he lived...I'm gonna have to try and figure out how to live without her on top of raising two kids alone." Noah nudges him.

"You won't be alone. You have all of us. No matter who made it and who didn't you have an actual village behind you. Rather it's you and the kids or you and the girls we're all gonna be here." Gary nods.

"Yeah, don't go acting like we don't live with ye, mate. I mean we're literally down the hall. Just wake Lottie up and she'll take the baby." Lottie swats the back of his head. "Ow! What? You like babies."

"It's sexist to assume to just come to me first." He kisses her cheek.

"You know I'm kidding." She smirks and and shrugs. Ainsley smiles at Bobby.

"And if it is you and two kids you'll be lucky if our mum doesn't move in with you...which don't cause she's crazy." Big Jonno laughs and nods.

"She really is. But she's a lot like Maizie. Strong too." After what seemed like a lifetime the doctor appears. She's covered in Maizie's blood. Her eyes were wet, her forehead slick with sweat, her face expressionless. He stood slowly, his heart pounding. His legs felt like jello as he started walking over to her. Time went extra slow, his heart barely beating, his ears ringing. His eyes were already releasing fresh tears. Her face gave away nothing. He finally stands in front of her and looks into her eyes.

"Who did I lose? Which one made it?" The doctor clears her throat.

"Maizie suffered a hemorrhage during surgery, she lost a bunch of blood. She coded three times on the table and we kept performing CPR. Ben was a little bit underweight fer his gestational age and the severity of the abruption put him at many risks. The lack of oxygen during this put him at risk fer many complications throughout his life, and that's if survival was a success after birth." 

"So who did I lose?" She looks into his eyes silent for a moment. She clears her throat.

"Fer now neither one of them. But who makes it to tomorrow is up to fate. In the mean time...would ye like to meet yer son?" He looks at Gary and Ainsley. Gary nods and stands, taking Ainsley's hand.

"We'll sit with Maizie so you can go see Ben. Send us pictures, yeah?" He smiles at him. He looked at Oliver.

"Can my brother come? If he wants to..." The doctor smiles and nods. He looks over at Oliver, he smiles and stands. They lead them to the NICU, over to a little squishy baby with different monitors attached all over him and a breathing tube. He smiles when he sees him. They open the little circle door so he could touch him. "Hi there Ben. Look at ye, ye definitely got the McKenzie good looks." Ben held onto his finger. The nurse looks at the monitors confused. "What? What is it?" She clears her throat and opens the big door and pulling him out. 

"Would ye like to hold him?" He smiles and nods. He sat down in the rocking chair. "Do ye want to try skin to skin? Sometimes that helps them fight more." He blushes.

"So like....do I just take off my shirt?" She smiles and nods. Oliver laughs.

"Duh, ye big dope." 

He pulls off his shirt and she carefully unwraps Ben before gently placing him on Bobby's chest and covers them up with the blanket. Bobby smiles and cuddles him, wishing Maizie could do this. His heart broke not knowing what would happen tomorrow to either of them. He could still lose the love of his life or his son. He wished this was all a horrible dream and any minute he would wake up in Maizie's arms and Ben would still be in her tummy. He had dreamt about what this day would be like and none of it went like this. He remembered Maizie's face since they left home. She was so scared and he couldn't make her any promises. He couldn't tell her it would be okay because he knew it could go wrong. His heart ached as he thought about her. The nurse walked away and came back a few minutes later with the NICU doctor. The doctor looked at the monitors and smiled.

"Mr. McKenzie, I'm yer sons doctor fer the day. My name is Dr. Niel. Yer sons vitals seems to improve when he's with ye. Patricia here said his vitals started picking up when he held yer finger and heard yer voice." Bobby smiles and looked at Ben's little squishy face. Oliver smiles.

"He should, Bobby talked to him everyday since he found out." Bobby couldn't stop staring at Ben.

"Olly, doesn't he look so perfect?"

"Aye. Ye did good, mate." For a long time they sat in silence while Bobby held onto Ben. 

"I wish Maizie could see him. She'd love to hold him right now."

"She'd probably never put him down." After a few hours Bobby looked at Olly.

"Want to hold him so I can go sit with Maizie a while?" Oliver smiles and nods. The nurse helped them switch. Bobby kisses Ben's head and gives Oliver a small smile before going to Maizie's room. When he walks in Gary is asleep against her bed. Ainsley smiles when she sees Bobby.

"He refused to leave her side. He said he had to watch her for you because you trusted him with her." He chuckles.

"Have since the beginning. He's been just as important to her as I have. That's why it hit her so hard when he was the one Alex found. She knew Alex was going fer the ones she loved most." She stretches and stands.

"Well, I'll let you take this shift. I'm gonna go get something to eat and update everyone. Nothing has changed but they'll be wanting to know that." He hugs her.

"Thanks, Ains." She smiles and walks out of the room. He sits next to her and takes her hand. Silent tears escaped, his heart felt like it was twisting in his chest. All he wanted was to hear her voice. He whispers so he doesn't wake Gary up. "Please come back to me, lass. I need ye." Eventually, he too falls asleep holding her hand. He wakes up to the sound of her monitor going off. Him and Gary stand up and step aside. The nurse and doctor start working on her. Dr. McKinney listens around her body. 

"She's bleeding again we have to go now." She looks at Bobby. "I'll do everything I can." She leaves with Maizie without another word. Gary and Bobby look at each other. Bobby sits down and starts sobbing.

"Gary, I can't keep doing this. In the past year I've been in a hospital dealing with someone I love dying way more times than I care to count. My son might die, Maizie might die fer the second time. How long before we can just have our life together? And that's if either of them make it. I don't have the strength fer this."

"That's when you lean on us, Bobby. We're your family. When you can't do it alone you lean on us. As family we are each other's strength when we aren't strong enough. You aren't alone. You have an entire room out there filled with people here for you." He wipes his eyes and stood up. 

"I'm going to see Ben. Want to come?" 

"What about Maizie?" He thinks a minute. 

"I'll ask the nurse to call the NICU when she comes back and we'll come back." He shrugs.

"Let's go then." He walks in and sees Oliver asleep while holding Ben. Bobby smiles and takes a quick picture before he gently wakes Oliver up. 

"Hey, I've got him. Go rest and get something to eat."

"What about ye?"

"I fell asleep in Maizie's room and I'm not hungry yet." He nods and they switch out. Gary smiles at the sight of Bobby cuddling Ben. Bobby sighs as he holds him. "Ye've got to make it, Ben. Daddy needs ye. And ye have a big sister waiting at home fer us. She's so excited to see ye and meet ye. Ye have to fight. Yer a McKenzie, ye've got it in ye." Gary wipes his eyes.

"He's beautiful, Bobby." Bobby smiles.

"He does better when he's being held." 

"That's the Maizie side of him. She's a big baby that has to be cuddled all the time." Bobby chuckles.

"I know, we share a bed. There is not one night she's not completely wrapped around me." 

"She's like that during the day too. She clings to you and Sophia likes you're gonna disappear."

"I think she's afraid of that. That's why she always has to be holding one of us." He sighs.

"I can see that." They're quiet a moment. "Do you think she's gonna make it?" Bobby shrugs and sniffles.

"I have to hope she does. I need her more than anything. She's my other half, without her I don't know what to do. I don't remember what it's like without her. Since the day she came into my life she's been everything to me." Gary sniffles.

"Me too, mate. No one could ever come close to her." They sit in comfortable silence until Bobby falls asleep holding Ben. He's woken up by Gary nudging his shoulder gently. "Bobby, she's back." He sits up and nods.

"Want to hold him while I go check on her?" Gary smiles and nods. They switch out and Bobby puts his shirt back on before going to Maizie's room. Dr. McKinney approaches him.

"We found the bleeding and stopped it." He looks at her worriedly.

"We had to do a hysterectomy....she can no longer have kids." He starts crying again. 

"So if Ben doesn't make and she does we can't have anymore kids of our own?" She nods and clears her throat. 

"I'm sorry, Mr. McKenzie."

"Call me, Bobby. I don't like Mr. McKenzie...it makes me sound old." She smiles and nods.

"I'll check on her in a bit." She leaves him alone with her. He sits beside her again.

"Maizie, please come home. Come back to me. We all need ye. Ben, Sophia, even me. I wish ye could see Ben. He's so beautiful. He knows me, he likes the sound of my voice. His vitals improve when we hold him. I hope ye both can meet each other again...here with me. Please keep fighting. I know it's selfish of me and I'm sorry. I just don't know how to live without ye, lass." He lays his head against her thigh and looks up at her. "Please come home." He sits there forever remembering all the times he spent with her and didn't cherish it enough. His heart felt like it was breaking over and over. He had a hole in his chest. He hears someone come in and looks up seeing the nurse pushing Ben in. He looks at her confused.

"Ye look exhausted going between rooms...so I convinced them to let him be with ye." He smiles at her. "Yer mate went to get something to eat. He said he'd send someone in here with ye. Want to hold him?" He smiles and nods. She places Ben on his chest and leaves him to be alone with them. He sighs and holds Ben close as he looks at Maizie, more tears sprinkling his chest. He hears Noah from the door.

"Is that our Benny boy?" He looks at him and smiles.

"Aye. Isn't he beautiful?" Noah nods.

"He is. Perfect combination of you two. How's she doing?" Bobby frowns and looks at her.

"She was bleeding again. They had to do a hysterectomy to make it stop...if she makes it we can't have anymore kids. He's our last chance. Noah, it's at a make it or break it point. Fer everything to work out how it should and avoid pain from any of us they both need to survive. If she does and he doesn't she'll be crushed. If he does and she doesn't he'll never know her. And Sophia would be losing a whole lot too. She needs them just as much as I do." Noah sits next to him. 

"They're gonna make it. This is Maizie. After her childhood, Alex, losing your mum, losing James, almost losing you...she can do this. She can make it. She's as strong as they come, Bobby." He sighs.

"Noah, I don't think I can make it out of this." He gets a phone call and looks at it. He answers it. "Hello, love. What are ye up to?"

"Eating ice cream for lunch. Is he here yet? Is Ben here?" 

"Not yet. He's taking his time coming here."

"Aww. Stubborn baby." Bobby chuckles. "Can I talk to Mummy?" He looks at Maizie, his heart breaking again. "She's asleep right now. This has made her very, very tired."

"You'll tell me when she wakes up, right?" He couldn't stop the constant tears.

"Aye. I'll call ye very soon, love. Be good fer Nana Susan."

"Okay. I love you, Dad."

"I love ye too, bug." He hangs up and puts his head in his hand. "Fek, Noah. What do I tell her?" Noah shrugs.

"I wish I knew, mate." They take turns holding him. Bobby looks at Noah with his shirt off and smiles.

"If she wakes up I'm gonna need ye to put yer shirt back on. I want her to still think I'm hotter than ye but with that it could make her change her mind." Noah laughs.

"You're so stupid. Don't forget who Lottie said was the most wanted lad in the Villa. Even above me." He smiles.

"I feel like she was just trying to make me feel better." Nan walks in with a bag and food.

"Here. Go change and eat." He shakes his head.

"No. I can't leave. They both need me. I have to stay here." Nan raises her eyebrows.

"Robert McKenzie." Bobby's eyes go wide as he looks at her. "Go take a shower and change. You know damn well if she saw you neglecting yourself like this she would be pissed. If you insist you can come back and eat in here but you have to take care of yourself first. They have so many people here to care for both of them until you come back. Now go." Noah clears his throat.

"Bobby, she used your whole name. If you don't listen then you're gonna get your ass kicked and I won't stop her." Bobby smiles and stands up.

"I'll be back in twenty minutes." He kisses Ben's head and Maizie's cheek. He pats Noah's shoulder and takes the stuff from Nan. "Thanks. Watch them fer me?" Her eyes soften.

"Absolutely. You know I will." He hurries through his shower and quickly changes before he goes back to them. He walks in to see Carl holding Ben. He blushes.

"I'm sorry. Nan made Noah go change and eat too so she told me to come in here. I tried to say no and then she said my whole name..." Bobby smiles.

"It's okay. She did that to me too." He sits down next to Carl.

"So besides this, how are things? I heard you opened a bakery." He smiles.

"Maizie opened my bakery. She bought it and fixed it up and everything. She made all my dreams come true. I wish I could have done the same fer her."

"But you did."

"How?"

"Bobby, her only dream was love. She didn't have all these crazy ambitions or goals. No career she sought after or money or flat. Her dream was to fall in love, marry him and build a life and family with him. She got all that with you." He looked at him confused.

"How do ye know that?"

"That's all she talked about. I mean she never said it was her dream but she did say all she ever wanted out of life was to find love, marry that person, have kids and build a life together. You're everything to her. You and your kids." He motions to Ben on his chest. "You're all her life. Even if she doesn't make it and he does or if neither of them do you have Sophia. And she is every bit your daughter as Ben is your son. So even if this doesn't go the way we all want it to go, you get to teach Sophia how amazing Maizie was and how much she loved her. You get to tell her how handsome and sweet Ben was. Tell her all the things Maizie did with her until the end. Tell her all about your love story and your journey together. No matter what Maizie and Ben will live on through you and Sophia." Bobby shakes his head.

"Man, I knew there was a good reason she liked ye. Damn I was hoping it was a lapse of judgement." Carl smiles, his brilliant blue eyes twinkling with mischief.

"She liked my play on words too. I like to do word problems and stuff. She always thought it was funny." 

"That one may be the six pack distracting her." Carl laughs.

"Still was nothing on you though. I tried. I did one of those sexy getting out of the pool looks. Still didn't work." Bobby laughs.

"She must really love me then. I bet she couldn't stop staring though."

"Oh, her jaw dropped. Which boosted my confidence...until I tripped and fell." Bobby laughs.

"There it is. Now I see it. That's what made her like ye. Fer some reason she likes clumsy goofballs." Carl smiles at him.

"Apparently. And you bake which is like a deal breaker. I can't cook."

"She cooks. Really good too."

"I know, she cooked at Casa Amor. Felix definitely tried even harder to get her to ditch me. She said she was more comfortable with me than anyone else because I wasn't pressuring her to switch."

"Tell me about Felix. She hasn't really said much about him." Carl rolls his eyes.

"My god he was annoying as fuck. He's a club promoter but he says he's a DJ. He has horrible moves when it comes to picking up women and he was extremely immature. And inexperienced which none of the girls were into. And he was a compulsive liar. He would lie about literally everything. How good he can swim, how good he could dance, how many push ups he could do. He was so damn annoying." Bobby laughs.

"Sounds like it. No wonder he didn't make it back."

"Right. I'm surprised Kassam didn't make it back though. Him and Lottie seemed to really hit it off. He said she was one-hundred percent his type and I heard her tell the girls he was her type. He really really liked her. He'll never admit it but he I saw him wipe a tear away when we were walking away."

"I didn't know she hit it off with him that good. She never talked about him." He shrugs.

"Makes sense. Kassam says she's the one who got away. That's why he isn't here. He wants to, he's even in town. But he can't seem to get to the point of actually coming here. He's worried about seeing her." Bobby raises his eyebrows.

"Now I feel bad fer the guy. He's got it bad...I feel that. But were him and Maizie close at all?" He shrugs.

"Yeah, next to me she liked him the second best. He's really cool. He's not loud or dramatic, he doesn't like over the top things. But he's really caring and loyal." 

"It sucks he won't come then. I think she'd really like that if he did. Plus, I'd like to get to know him. I liked Graham a lot. And Elijah...when he wasn't coupled up with her. And Arjun seems really cool. And yer cool. I imagine Kassam would be too."

"I think you'd like him. You might even be good for him to come out of his shell." Gary walks in and frowns. He crosses his arms.

"Oi, what are you doing holding his son? No no, what are you doing holding your ex-girlfriend's son?" Bobby stands.

"Relax, Gary. We're mates. And Nan made him...I was gonna get him back in a minute." He turns and raises his eyebrows at Carl and whispers. "Sorry, he's really protective of the kids. Ye should see him with Sophia." He takes off his shirt and carefully picks up Ben. He places him and his chest and goes to sit down when he looks at Maizie. He thinks for a moment. "Can ye both give us a bit of time alone?" They both nod. Carl stands up and puts his shirt on.

"Absolutely, let us know if ye need anything." He smiles at them as they leave. He sits down next to Maizie on the bed, still holding Ben.

"I realized we haven't actually introduced ye yet. Ben, this is yer Mummy. Maizie, this is our beautiful son. Ye both are some strong fighters. Must be the Blackwood blood. Right now he doesn't really look like either of us but I hope he looks like ye." Ben moves his head, making Bobby freeze. "Yer not supposed to be moving...I thought they were making ye stay still so the IV's didn't come out." He reaches over to Ben's bed and pushes the nurse button on it. A few minutes later a NICU nurse walks in.

"Everything okay?" He motions to Ben.

"He's moving. I thought he wasn't supposed to." The nurse frowns and checks Ben's vitals, smiling.

"He's breathing on his own." She pages Dr. Neil who came rushing in a few minutes later. 

"What's wrong?" The nurse smiles.

"He's breathing on his own." Dr. Neil frowns and checks Ben's vitals, smiling.

"Then let's take this breathing tube out." He carefully takes him and places him in Ben's bed. Bobby looks away while they take it out. A second later he hears crying. He turns and smiles, his eyes watering. They give him back to Bobby. He makes all these cute little baby whimpers and turns his head. Bobby's heart fluttered. 

"Look at ye. Yer really fighting aren't ye? That's my boy...and Mummy's boy." Dr. Neil steps forward.

"I think him being close to Maizie is giving him strength." Bobby smiles sadly and looks at Maizie.

"I wish it gave her strength too." 

"Let's see if ye can get him to eat." They got a little bottle of formula and left him to feed him alone. After he finished and burped him he laid him on his chest. He sighs and looks at Ben.

"I don't think Mummy is coming home with us, buddy. I think it's gonna be just us three..." He sniffles and holds him close. He sits on the bed next to her and leans back against the bed. He closes his eyes, unable to look at her while he admits his thoughts aloud. "If ye need to go, go. I don't want ye to...but don't hang on just fer me. We'll be okay, we have a huge ass family out there to have our backs. We'll manage. And it won't really be goodbye, right? I'll see ye again one day when it's my time. Just watch over the kids. And know that I'll always love ye, with everything I am. No one will ever replace ye and what ye mean to me. So if yer too tired to keep fighting then stop fighting, go so ye can be in peace." He looks at her, his heart shattering all over again. He falls asleep next to her while he holds Ben. Her monitors start going off, waking him up. He jumps out of the bed as the nurses rush in and start trying to stabilize her. Dr. McKinney comes rushing in and looks over her quickly. She looks at Bobby.

"Bobby, take yer son and go back upstairs. I'll see ye as soon as we're done." He nods and one of the nurses escorts him and Ben back to NICU. A while later Gary comes rushing into the room.

"Bobby, where's Maizie? She's not in her room." He sniffles and doesn't look up.

"She coded. They're trying to save her." Gary frowns at him.

"When was this?"

"Dinnae ken."

"Where you going to tell us?"

"Not yet. No reason everyone should be freaking out. But can ye take Ben a bit?" He looks at him, Gary's face softens. 

"Yeah, I've got him." They switch out and Bobby walks out of the room. He walks right by everyone in the waiting room and goes outside, standing behind a pillar so they couldn't see him. He sits down and hugs his knees, trying to stop the icy chill taking over him. He sits there all alone for a while, just staring at nothing while he silently falls apart. Noah eventually comes out.

"Bobby, the doctor is looking for you." He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He stands up and turns to see Noah standing a few feet away. He walks up and looks at him.

"I think I already know what she's gonna say."

"We won't know until we hear it."

"I don't think I can do this, Noah. I can't hear it."

"It could be different." He shakes his head.

"I told her to stop holding on fer me, if she was too tired to just let go. We'll be okay, right? Me and the kids will manage, right?" He sniffles and Noah swallows hard. His voice is raspy when he talks.

"Yeah. We've got you. We'll be right there, I'll be right there." He nods and walks inside, Noah following at his side. He sees the doctor standing there, her face hard and unreadable. Every step he took seemed to have slowed down, his legs were stiff. He fought the urge to turn around and walk away. He stops in front of her and looks her in the eyes. She clears her throat.

"Complications from her past two surgeries combined with all the trauma her body has been through put a strain on her heart and kidneys." Her eyes started to water. "We took her back to the OR to access exactly what the problem was and fix it." She swallows hard, fighting her tears. "She coded again on the table and we performed CPR fer forty-five minutes." Bobby shakes his head and steps back.

"She can't be." Dr. McKinney stared at him for a long moment.

"At 10:32 pm we had to call time of death." A tear slipped from her eye. Bobby broke into sobs, Noah holding him. "I'm so sorry fer yer loss, Mr. McKenzie. If ye have any questions feel free to ask me. Please excuse me." He watched her turn around and walk away, wiping tears away. His chest ached worse than anything else before. He couldn't describe the pain he was in. He pulls back and wipes his eyes. 

"I need to go tell Gary. He's with Ben." 

"Want one of us to come with you?"

"Lottie can come to tell Gary." Lottie gets up and hugs Bobby tightly, they held onto each other trying to comfort each other. They regain their composure enough to go to Gary. Gary looks up and sees them, his face immediately falling. He shakes his head.

"Don't tell me. Please, no." Lottie comes over and takes Ben. Gary walks up to Bobby. "Bobby, tell me it's not true. Tell me she is back in her room waiting for us. Tell me I didn't lose my best friend in the whole world." Bobby starts crying and looks down. "But what about Sophia and Ben? They need their mum. You need her. How could she just leave you three behind? How could she leave us behind?"

"It was just too much fer her heart, it couldn't take it."

"What is Sophia going to say? You think she's going to see it like that? Her mum came into the hospital and never left just like her first one, you think that's going to go over well? Why are you not as upset as I am? What is the matter with you? Your wife just died, the woman you're supposed to love died and you're standing here barely reacting. Why aren't you more upset? Did you even love her?" Lottie frowns.

"Gary!" Bobby shakes his head.

"He's right." He walks up to Ben and takes him. "Give us some time alone, please." He doesn't look at them anymore, he just sits down with Ben. He refuses to talk to anyone or see anyone else. He would tell Sophia the next day but for tonight he wanted to mourn. He hurt so much he couldn't even cry anymore. _**This pain is why I didn't want to do this.**_ He looks at Ben asleep against his chest. _**But I don't regret it. She gave me two beautiful kids to remember her by. We built a life together, even if she isn't here to be a part of it anymore.**_


	28. The Finale

The days bled into weeks, that bled into months. Before he knew it a year had passed by. He didn't cry every night but he cried often. He never batted an eye at another woman, though many tried. Even Sarah tried and he wouldn't talk to her. The only woman he wanted he couldn't have and he wouldn't settle for anyone else. Ben was right on track, hitting every mile stone. When he crawled for the first time he looked to see Maizie's reaction. When he said his first word he looked for her to show her. When he walked for the first time he turned to see she wasn't there. The pain didn't get easier, he just got to the point he could hide it better. The only people that saw right through it was Noah and Oliver. On the one year mark of her passing the kids stayed with Lottie and Gary while Bobby spent most of the day at her grave. No one disturbed him or asked where he was going. Everyone knew where he would be and gave him the privacy he needed to let himself feel it again. He wished he could just talk to her one more time, kiss her one more time, hold her one more time. He was thankful for all the times he had with her, but he felt ashamed he never took advantage just how good it was to be with her. He finally understood how his mum had felt when his dad passed, and he hated that he knew what it felt like. She was all he could think about. Everyday, everywhere he went, he was reminded of her. Gary and Lottie stayed with him still to help with the kids. Some of the others tried to set him up and get him to move on but he always told them he wasn't interested. No one could ever come close to her. That night everyone was there to celebrate her life. He put the kids to bed and they got him to sit in the living room with him. But as soon as they started talking about her he stood up.

"I'm sorry, I can't do this." He walks into his room and lays down on their bed. He looks at the picture of them during the Love Island Prom. His heart twisted, making him wince. He finally let the tears fall he'd been holding in all day, the pain overcoming him. That night he dreamt about the first time she kissed him. He could see the roof terrace, the rising sun shining on her face, her vibrant green eyes looking into his. She showed every emotion through her eyes. He couldn't stop her like he had the day before, call it selfish or wrong or whatever. But he had to know what it would felt like. He didn't know it then, but the second her lips touched his he fell completely in love with her. He thought about that moment everyday. He thought about the first time they made love. It had never felt so passionate or emotional before. He felt her love for him with every touch, every sound, every breath. He thought about the first time he told her he loved her. Her face almost made him regret it until she kissed him. Same thing when he asked her to be his girlfriend, and when he asked her to marry him. He had to admit for only being with someone for a year and a half, mostly, he had so many good memories to look back on. Like when he came home and found her cooking in his kitchen. She got so pissed when all he could manage was what when she brought up Sam. He loved seeing her so angry, she always looked so cute. He remembered all the times they played music together. Ever since the first time they did it all the time, except when Sophia was asleep. But they would all hang out in their room and play, having dance parties. He hoped Sophia would remember all those times like he does. He hoped she would never forget what either of her mum's was like. He couldn't help her remember her first mum but he could help her remember Maizie. Like he did with Ben. His bed time stories were stories of him and Maizie falling in love. He seemed to really like them. He thought about the way she would read to him every night, he would wrap his arms around her waist and rest his head on her. Her heartbeat putting him to sleep. She'd wake up him up by running her hands through his hair, he loved that feeling. It felt really intimate to him, he wasn't sure why. He missed little things like that the most. He could almost feel her hands in his hair. He suddenly felt calm at the thought. 

"Psst. Bobby....Bobby. Wake up." He groans.

"No. It's a good dream." 

"Pleeeease." He opened his eyes and saw Maizie looking at him. He looked at her confused. 

"What?" He looked around and saw them sitting in the bed at the hospital. Ben was in his little bed. He looked at her again, seeing her smiling back at him. "Maizie?" His heart pounded in his chest, his mind raced. He reached towards her hesitantly. _**Please be real, please be real, please be real.**_ He touched her cheek and looked into her eyes. She smiles at him.

"Yes. This is real." He smiled, tears escaping. He leans forward and kisses her deeply. He doesn't know how long they kissed but he didn't care if it was forever. She smiled and pulled away. He shook his head.

"Nope. Not done yet." He smiled and kissed her again. She sighs and leans into it. He missed the way her lips felt against his, the way her hands went into his hair, the way she bit his lip. He finally pulls away slowly. He looks into her eyes sadly. "Don't leave me anymore. I...I can't do this without ye. I mean I can but I don't want to." She smiles, tears of her own showing in her eyes. She wipes his away.

"I'm not going anywhere. I promise. I'm here to stay." She leans back and pulls him into her arms. He gently cuddles against her, his head on her chest. For a long time he just held her. _**It was all a dream. She didn't die, she's still here. It was just a dream.**_ Ben starts crying, making him come out of his thoughts. He sits up and smiles at her.

"Have ye seen him yet?" She chuckles.

"Not really. I woke up and he was already in there. I didn't want to wake you...Noah said you haven't been sleeping." 

"When did ye talk to Noah?" She shrugs.

"A while ago. A couple hours before you woke up. He was sitting in here next to Ben's bed."

"Well, let's fix that then." He looked at the time. "It's time fer him to eat. Wanna feed him?" She beams at him and nods. He gets up and checks his diaper quickly before he picks him up. He carries him to Maizie and hands her a fresh bottle. She looks down at him as she feeds him.

"Babe, he's so perfect. He's even more beautiful than I imagined." He just stared at her feeding him. He couldn't stop looking at her. He thought she was more beautiful than before, seeing how lovingly she looked at Ben for the first time. She sighs and shakes her head. "Just so perfect." 

"Aye." She looks up and sees him looking at her and blushes.

"I meant the baby, not me." He kisses her cheek and rests his head against hers.

"So are ye. That's where he got it from." She giggles and rolls her eyes.

"Okay, Romeo. So tell me what happened. Noah wouldn't tell me anything...except that literally everyone we know is here except Mum and Sophia." He looks down a minute.

"Well, Ben keeps improving. After he was born I went and saw him and when I started talking to him the nurse said his vitals started getting stronger. Then I held him, he likes skin to skin by the way, and they kept getting better. They took his breathing tube out a bit ago. He hasn't needed any surgery or anything, miraculously. Uh, ye had the first surgery when he was born. They said ye coded a few times during. Ye coded again in here and they discovered ye were bleeding and took ye back to surgery." He pauses and looks into her eyes. "During the second surgery the only way they could stop the bleeding was with a hysterectomy. So we can't have anymore kids...." She looks at him sadly, her eyes watering.

"Wait, what? We can't have anymore kids?" He sighs.

"Aye. I'm sorry, lass. I didn't really get a say and besides it was the only way to make ye stop bleeding. Ye lost a shit ton of blood. They've been doing transfusions constantly since then. Which is what they suspected played a role in ye being out fer so long."

"How many days has it been?"

"Ah shit....let me think." He thinks a minute trying to figure out all the times. "I think it's the 16th so three days? It's been really rough. They didn't expect ye to make it past the first night. Which ye almost didn't. Maizie..." He stops and looks down trying to gather his thought. "It got really, really close this time. I was pretty sure ye weren't coming back. And that scared me more than anything. I just had a weird ass dream where ye actually died...and the pain I felt in that dream I'm not ready to actually feel. I need ye more than anything, lass." She cuddles into him and he wraps his arms around her.

"I'm sorry I scared you. I promise I'm here to stay though. We can live our lives together now, okay?" He nods and holds her tighter. "I love you, Bobby." He smiled, his heart flipping.

"I love ye too, Maizie." After Ben was done eating she held onto him for a long time, just talking with Bobby about everything. He loved watching her go on and on about her dream. He leans forward and kisses her. Someone coughs making them pull apart. They look up and see Noah standing in the doorway.

"I know I should've asked but my phone has been blowing up all morning with pictures. So I might have picked up and extra guest..." Sophia turns the corner.

"Boo!" Maizie and Bobby beam at her.

"There's our girl! Come here, love." Noah sets her on the bed gently and she crawls into Bobby's lap. 

"Is this my brother?" Maizie nods.

"Yes he is, isn't he cute??"

"So cute! Can I hold him?"

"Of course, bug." Bobby helps her hold him, smiling up at Maizie. His heart felt full and his life complete. Maizie meets his eyes smiling. "We have our family, babe." He nods.

"The perfect family." She leans forward and kisses him, making his heart pound again. The rest of the day they spent together the four of them. Goofing around and passing Ben around. The others came in a few at a time. The room was littered with flowers and balloons and chocolate, Maizie's favorite. She laughs when she sees all the chocolate.

"I'm trying to lose baby weight after this!" Bobby shakes his head.

"Yer perfect. Don't change a thing." She blushes and gently nudges him. He couldn't stop looking at her. Sophia pulls him away to go get something to eat with her, walking away from Maizie was the hardest thing he had to do. Noah and Lottie went with them. Lottie smiles at Bobby. "What?"

"Just the way you look at her. I mean you've always looked at her like that but it's different now." He shrugs.

"I almost lost the love of my life and now she's here. She made it. I'm not wasting one more day being anything but happy with her and making her happy." Noah chuckles.

"You sound like you did in the Villa." 

"Except now we have two kids." He twirls Sophia around in a circle and pokes her belly. "Dinnae ken. I guess things got put into perspective. I don't think I was fully appreciating what I have or what she's given me. Just seeing everything we have now...I just wish I hadn't been so stupid this past year. I definitely won't take advantage of anything else again." After they eat they go back upstairs so Sophia could say goodbye. Lottie and Gary were taking her home so Susan could come up and visit. After they left Bobby laid down next to Maizie. He held her hand with their fingers tangled together, he listened to the sound of her heartbeat. Her other hand ran through his hair.

"Will two kids be enough for you? Or are you going to be upset I can't have anymore?" He looks at her confused.

"They're more than enough. I don't need ye to be able to have kids. I didn't fall in love with ye cause I wanted ye to have a bunch of my kids. Yer always gonna be enough, they're always gonna be enough, our family is always gonna be enough. I'm not going anywhere and I'm not gonna let something like that get between us. We have a gorgeous daughter and a handsome son. They're more than enough." She smiles and kisses his nose.

"Good." He smiles and leans up to kiss her. "I can't believe we have a family." He chuckles.

"We built our life together, lass. Now we just have to live it." The next few weeks were a long recovery and Ben quickly exceeded all expectations. He seemed to have no pro long damage. After him being in the hospital for a month they cleared him to go home. Maizie was released a couple weeks prior. When they pulled up to the hospital to get him they looked at each other excitidely. He pulls her in and kisses her deeply, she leans into him and kisses him back. He pulls away. "Let's go get our son." On their way home he looked over at Maizie and she smiled at him. He took her hand and held it on their way home. When they get home he gets the baby carrier out of the back seat and walks up to the door. He took her hand and pulled her to him, kissing her again.

"If you don't stop snogging me my lips are gonna stay swollen." He bites his lip.

"I can't help it. I love kissing ye, and ye look really sexy when yer lips are swollen from snogging." She laughs and swats his arm. She pulls him into the house where they're met by everyone. Chelsea comes over and steals Ben from Bobby.

"Benny boy needs some time with Auntie Chelsea and Uncle Henrik. So shoo!" Bobby smiles and looks at Maizie.

"Did she just steal our son and tell us to shoo?" Maizie laughs and nods.

"Yes, she did." She takes Bobby's hand and walks away to let Chelsea have her time with Ben. Bobby glanced back and saw Chelsea holding Ben against her shoulder and patting his back. Henrik poked his nose and was talking to him with a baby voice.

"Now that's adorable." Maizie looks back.

"Awww! They look so cute! They're gonna be wonderful parents one day." They turn back to Dean and Louis. Dean clears his throat.

"So we wanted to talk to ye about something..." Maizie looks at him concerned.

"Is everything okay?" She puts a hand on his arm. He smiles and squeezes her hand.

"Yes, babes. We're fine. We just wanted to tell ye that we're going to adopt a kid. We don't know exactly who or when but we need some recommendation letters. We were hoping ye could do that fer us." She beamed at him.

"Of course! I'd love to! Oh, I'm so happy for you guys!!" She hugs them both tightly. "You two are so good with Sophia and Ben, you'll be amazing parents. We can have playdates! And sleep overs!" Bobby chuckles and shakes his head, leaning towards Louis.

"Ye've set her off into planning mode. She won't stop now." Louis shrugs.

"I don't mind. I think it's adorable and it shows how much she cares."

"Very true, she adores ye both. Especially since ye did the room make over in our room." Louis smiles at him.

"We had to, we love ye both. Ye've been amazing mates. Ye chose a good one, Bobby. I've got to say I was a little nervous at first but after everything it's shown us how good ye are together. And ye make a beautiful family." 

"Thanks, mate." They make their way back over to Chelsea and Henrik. Priya comes over and takes him.

"Auntie Priya's turn!" She sits on the couch next to Rahim. She kisses Ben's cheek, making him smile. She holds him close and rocks him. "Who's Auntie Priya's handsome boy? That's right, it's you!" She kept playing with him and rocking him. Bobby saw how Rahim looked at her. Bobby nudges Maizie and nods towards them. She watches them a minute and smiles. Priya looks at Rahim. "It looks like Uncle Rahim wants to hold you a bit." Rahim's eyes go wide.

"I don't know how to properly hold a real baby! He's so tiny, what if I hurt him?" Priya smiles at him encouragingly.

"Hun, relax. I'll show you. Here, put his head here like that. And then your hand here, that's right. Look! You're holding him! Rock him a bit." Rahim looked at Priya as she talked to Ben while he held him. He looks back down at Ben.

"I hope I get to have one of these." Priya sighs.

"Me too. I'm already 30 so it's not looking very possible. At this rate I'll never even get married."

"Maybe you've already met that person. Sometimes you don't know what you have until it's gone. Taking time apart can sometimes show you what you want...or who you want. Sometimes they're right next to you." She raises an eyebrow at him, making him blush.

"What are you trying to say, Rahim?"

"You're gonna make me actually say it, aren't you?" She smiles and nods.

"Yes, I am." He clears his throat.

"Priya, would you like to go on a date with me and see about giving us another shot?" She beams at him.

"I would love to, Rahim." He smiles and lets out a sigh of relief. Bobby smiles and puts an arm around Maizie's shoulder. Noah takes Ben and sits down next to Ainsley.

"My turn!" Chelsea smiles.

"You have him as much as Maizie and Bobby do."

"Cause he's adorable. Who doesn't want to hold this handsome little guy?" Ainsley leans over his arm and starts playing with him.

"You'd have to be crazy to not want to be with this cute. Isn't that right, Benny?" Noah looks at Ainsley and watches her play with Ben. "I can't wait to have one of you one day." He smiles at her. 

"Marry me." She looks up at him shocked.

"What? What did you say?"

"Marry me. I love you and I want to marry you. I want to have kids with you. Will you marry me, Ainsley?" She looks at him a minute and smiles.

"Yes, of course. Yes!" He smiles and kisses her sweetly. Hope claps happily.

"Aww, congratulations you two! Ugh, this is exactly what I imagined when I thought about us being long term friends. Okay not exactly but damn close. When I met you lot in the Villa I had hoped we would all be together like this, getting married and building families. Everything feels right. Rahim and Priya get back together, Maizie and Bobby are married with kids, Chelsea gets married in a few months, me and Oliver are living together, Noah and Ainsley are getting married. And our new couple of the group is going to adopt a kid together." Dean and Louis smile and hold each others hands. Maizie sighs and leans into Bobby.

"I completely agree, Hope. Everything feels right, life is so perfect. I am so incredibly glad I let Ainsley talk me into going on the show. It gave me not only the love of my life but it gave me all of you. Before the Villa I didn't have mates or a life or anything to look forward to. Now we have amazing mates, two beautiful kids and each other." Bobby looks into her eyes.

"Me too, lass." He kisses her sweetly. A minute later Gary walks in with Sophia wearing a pink tiara and clip on earrings, making everyone burst into a fit of laughter. He smiles at them and shrugs.

"She's my princess. I can't tell her no, have you seen her pouty face? Besides she makes the best pretend tea I've ever had." Lottie takes a picture and wipes her eyes.

"My god, babe. That is hilariously adorable." Henrik wipes his eyes.

"I don't think I ever expected you to be such a teddy bear." He shrugs.

"I love her, she's my niece. And when you have kids I'll be just as much of a teddy bear." Priya smiles at Maizie and Bobby.

"Must be hard to choose who to be godparents then, huh? Between Noah, Gary, and Oliver?" Everyone looks at them. They look at each other. Bobby clears his throat.

"It really does to be honest. We've been thinking about this since we got Sophia. It's been really tough to decide. But we have sort of come to a decision." Everyone looks at them closely. 

"We considered Oliver but we also know kids isn't in his future. And we have no doubt he loves them and would do anything fer them but we don't want to make him do something he doesn't want to do. So it's not Oliver. Really it's between Gary and Lottie, Ainsley and Noah. It's so hard cause we love ye all the same. Noah's my best mate and Ainsley is Maizie's sister. And Gary his Maizie's best mate and we love Lottie as much as we love Ainsley. So it's kind of hard to pick. We don't want to hurt anyone's feelings by not picking one of them." Gary sighs.

"Guys, we aren't here because we want to be their godparents. We're here cause we love all four of you. If you choose me and Lottie we would of course be extremely happy. But we would also be extremely happy if you chose Noah and Ainsley. Even if something happens and neither of you are here anymore Noah and Ainsley would need help with them too. And we'll be there. We'll still get to be in their lives. So I don't care if you choose us or not as long as they're safe and happy. And if they're with Noah and Ainsley they will be." Noah smiles and nods.

"I completely agree with everything Gary said except change our names to their names. Guys, don't worry so much about this. No matter what we'll still love you all the same. This is just a technicality because no matter who you choose is still going to have every single one of us around. They'll still have the rest of us." Maizie and Bobby look at each other and smile. Maizie sighs and looks between the two of them.

"Are you two sure no one is going to be all bitter and hurt?" Gary nods.

"Absolutely. Whoever you choose won't effect any of our relationships. We'll all still love them and you just the same." She clears her throat.

"Okay, then I guess that settles it. This isn't personal in any way, but we would like Noah and Ainsley to be their godparents...and also Gary and Lottie. If something happens they would live with Noah and Ainsley but they would have the four of you to care and provide for them. We don't want it to all fall on one couple." Noah and Gary smile at each other. Gary holds out his arms.

"My godbrother!" Noah laughs.

"My godbrother!" Noah gives Ainsley Ben and stands up to hug Gary. They turn and face Bobby and Maizie. "We'd be honored to be their godparents." Chelsea claps.

"Yay! Oh, that was so nerve-wracking. I almost fainted from the suspense." Maizie laughs.

"Love, imagine what it felt like for us." They sit down on the couch and Bobby looked at Maizie as she talked with the others. Gary nudges him.

"Take a picture, mate. It last longer." Maizie looks at him and smiles, making him blush. He shrugs.

"Yer not wrong, Gaz." Louis does a happy clap.

"Let's do it then! Let's take a picture!" Louis and Dean arrange everybody. Bobby and Maizie sit in the middle of the couch with their kids, Noah and Ainsley were next to Bobby. Gary and Lottie beside Maizie. Chelsea sat on the arm rest on Bobby's side with Henrik behind her. Hope was on the armrest beside Maizie with Oliver behind her. Dean, Louis, Priya and Rahim stood behind the couch. They set the timer and ran over and took a couple pictures, one serious and one silly. They then took pictures of just the Islanders. Maizie and Bobby sat in the middle again. Noah and Chelsea sat next to Bobby with Gary and Lottie beside Maizie. Henrik, Priya, Hope and Rahim stood behind the couch. Bobby looked at the pictures his heart full of joy and thankfulness. 

* * *

A year later on January 13th, Ben's first birthday, they had the entire group over. Everyone that was there when Maizie and Ben were in the hospital came. Carl and Bobby became close mates, they talked all the time and visited each other often. Marisol and Carl were moving in together after officially confirming they were together. Lucas started dating Sarah. It was awkward at first but they managed to push past it. Bobby didn't get jealous at all or worried. He loved Maizie with all his heart and he was happy that Lucas and Sarah were genuinely happy together. She had someone who could give her what he couldn't, that's what she deserved as well as Lucas. Gary and Lottie still lived with them. They decided not to get married but want kids one day. But they weren't ready to leave them and the kids yet. Rahim and Priya were still together, even looking for a flat of their own. Chelsea and Henrik got married on June 25th, 2021. They chose the date since that was the first day they met. Lucas was Henrik's best man, Maizie was her matron of honor. Sophia was her flower girl and Ben was their ring barer. Bobby was a groomsman along with all the other islanders. Noah and Ainsley were two months away from their wedding and in the process of closing on their first flat together. They made sure to have plenty of space for guests since so many people often came and visited. Hope and Oliver got engaged the day before the party. Dean and Louis were in the middle of adopting twins, a boy and a girl. Susan and Jonno eloped to officially be married, Maizie and Bobby was their witnesses since they brought them together. Bobby's bakery was doing amazing and Maizie helped out in the bakery when she wasn't teaching art at the nearby university. Nana and Papa even came from Jamaica to celebrate his first birthday. He was spoiled with tons of gifts from everyone. Ben waddled over to Maizie and she picks him up, tossing him in the air and catching him. Bobby couldn't stop staring at her and Ben together. Sophia ran up to him and he picked her up. Maizie and Bobby smiled at each other. He leaned down and kissed her.

"I love ye, lass."

"I love you too." Later after the party and everyone went home and to their hotel rooms, Lottie and Gary watched the kids so Maizie and Bobby could go out. They walked through the park together, holding hands. Maizie looked at him. "Did you ever think life could be like this?"

"Nope. After meeting ye I hoped we could get here but I was starting to think we couldn't."

"So does that mean you're happy?"

"I'm the happiest I've ever been. Sophia is so amazing and beautiful in every way. Ben is so smart and adorable. Our best mates live near us so we can all still be together. Our other closest friends are building their own families and starting their own lives together. The bakery is doing great, ye get to teach art now. Yer mum is finally happy with the man she loves. Everything is amazing between us. I couldn't be happier." He pulls her to him and looks into her eyes. "Ye've made me the happiest man in the world. No one has ever done so much fer me as ye do. I love ye so much, more than I ever thought was possible. I'm glad ye chose me." She smiles and sniffles.

"It was always you. No one ever stood a chance. It will still always be you. I never thought this existed. A love like this, a life like this. It just seems so perfect." He leans down and kisses her, slowly intensifying it. She sighs and leans into it, her arms wrapping around his neck. He wraps one arm around her waist and holds her close, his other hand tangling into her hair. He bites her lip gently. "Bobby, we're in public." He smiles.

"So? It's just a bit of snogging. The rest we can do when we get home." She bites her lip and blushes.

"You know how to get a girls attention." He kisses her again, she presses her body into his. Her grip on his shoulders tightened. "You think the kids are in bed yet?" He looks at the time.

"Not since it's Uncle Gary watching them. Ye know he can't say no to them." She laughs.

"True. Then why don't we go put them to bed and then I can take you to bed." He bites his lip, his heart racing.

"I like the sound of that." She smiles and kisses him again. She pulls away just as he started to really get into it. He groans as she pulls him by the hand to the car. Once they put the kids to bed she meets him in the hallway and pulls him in, kissing him hard. A sense of urgency between them, he picks her up and wraps her legs around his waist. He leads them to their room and carefully shuts the door. He takes her to their bed and lays her down. He kisses her hard as he grinds against her, making her moan softly against his lips. She pulls his shirt off and unbuttons his pants, pulling them down so he only wore his boxers. She bit her lip as she looked at him.

"I love your tattoos, they make you look so sexy." She runs her hand long the tattoos he had on his shoulders. He bites his lip and pulls her clothes off, stripping her down to her panties and bra. 

"Ye look sexy no matter what." She blushes and he kisses her again, his hand running down her body. He rubs her outside of her panties, she lifts her hips and moans. He moves down to her neck and traces kisses along her collar bone, down her chest. He takes off her bra and and gently sucks and teases her nipples. He pulls back and looks at her, biting his lip. She blushes as she looks at him. He pulls her panties off and kisses her again as he puts his fingers inside of her. As he starts fingering her she moans and bites his lip. He runs kisses down her body until he gets between her legs and puts his mouth on her. She gasps when he starts licking her between her legs, knowing exactly what she wanted. Her fingers her as he goes down on her, her hips lifting off the bed as she comes. She sits up and pulls his boxers off and takes him in her mouth, making him moan. He moves her hair out of her face as she looks up at him. When he get too close he pulls back. He lays her down and kissing her again. He positions himself between her legs and slowly puts himself inside her, making the both moan softly. "Fek, lass." She clings to him as he starts moving slowly. She digs her nails into him, making him grip the sheets beside her. He kisses her neck and gently bites her shoulder. She bites her lip, trying to stay quiet.

"Oh, fuck, Bobby." He groans.

"I love the way ye say my name." She blushes and looks into his eyes. She wraps her legs around his waist. 

"I like seeing my legs around your waist as you fuck me." 

"Oh, fek." He thrust harder, making her moans grow a little louder. She bites his shoulder trying not to be too loud and wake the kids. She clings to him, quietly saying his name. He cherished every moment they were together, remembering every detail of this moment. Everything about her drove him crazy. He loved the way he felt when they were together like this, like their souls and hearts beat as one. He loved the way she said his name, dug her nails into him, bit his shoulder, the way her tattoo on her thigh still drove him crazy. 

"You're gonna make me come, Bobby. Fuck me harder." He pins her thigh back, going deeper inside of her. "Oh, fuck yes." He moved faster quickly pushing her over the edge of her orgasm. She bites her lip hard, trying not to be too loud. He kisses her hard as she digs her nails into him and scratches his back, making him come. He lays there a minute on top of her trying to catch his breath. He lays next to her under the duvet. She cuddles into him and he wraps his arms around her. "That never gets old, it only gets better." He smiles and kisses the top of her head.

"It really does." She looks at him, resting her chin on his chest. He looked at her eyes. "Yer so damn beautiful. Yer even more beautiful now than ye were when we met." She frowns at him.

"I've gained weight and now have stretch marks thanks to your son."

"And? I think they're sexy. It means ye put yer body through hell so he could be here with us. And it shows that we've been through a hell of a journey. They make ye look tough and sexy. I like ye better with them than without them." She smiles at him.

"How do you always make me feel so beautiful?"

"Cause ye are." She sighs and leans up and kisses him. He puts a hand behind her head and kisses her back. She wraps a leg around him and pushes her body into him. He grabs her ass, making her moan. She bites his lip.

"Ready for round two?" He smiles and chuckles.

"Always." He sits up and pulls her onto him so she was straddling him. She wraps her arms around his neck and he holds onto her hips as he guides her onto him. They were rougher this time as their sweaty bodies moved together. She rests chin on his shoulder, holding him close. He ran his hands up and down her body, gripping her thigh and hip tightly. It didn't take long for her to come. She bit his shoulder so she didn't scream his name. He holds onto her hips, pushing her on him hard as he thrusted. Finally he comes, thrusting hard one last time. She collapses on top of him, breathing hard.

"God, you're amazing." He laughs and lifts her face, kissing her softly.

"Only cause of ye." She smiles and lays next to him. 

"I love you."

"I love ye too."

"Us against the world?"

"Aye. I'm yers and yer mine." She falls asleep tangled in his arms.

* * *

Twenty years later Bobby (45), Maizie (45), Gary (44), Lottie (45), Noah (46), Ainsley (43), Oliver (43), Hope (47), Rahim (43), Priya (49), Chelsea (45) and Henrik (44). Lottie and Gary had three kids; Larry (17), Charlotte (18) and Daniel (16). Chelsea and Henrik and one son; Henry (18). Noah and Ainsley had twin girls and another daughter; Maria (19), Melissa (19) and Cindy (22). Priya and Rahim had two sons; John (16) and Jeremy (17). Ben was now 23 and Sophia was 28. Together they had eleven kids. Five girls and six boys. All the kids and friends were at Maizie and Bobby's flat. Everyone joined together for a huge cook out. Bobby had his arm around Maizie's shoulder as Sophia walked out into the backyard with her boyfriend, Jameson. She sees them and beams at them. She grew into a gorgeous young woman. Her long red hair ran down her back like a waterfall, her ivory skin was splattered with freckles, her big blue eyes shone brightly, her full lips were always in a smile. She had a Scottish accent like Bobby and laughed like Maizie. She was the perfect combination of the two of them personality wise. She walks up to them still holding Jameson's hand. She lets go and hugs Maizie tightly.

"Mum! I missed ye so much."

"It's been a few weeks, bug." She smiles at her.

"But it feels like ferever." She turns to Bobby and beams at him brightly. "Hi Daddy." She hugs him tightly, holding him a few minutes. She'd been a daddy's girl basically her whole life. Bobby was always the one she wanted to talk to. She kissed his cheek as she pulled away.

"How're ye doing, love?" She sighs.

"Work is work. But otherwise okay." Jameson smiles and shakes Bobby's hand.

"Good to see ye again, sir." Bobby nods and shakes his hand.

"Good to see ye too. Been staying out of trouble?" He chuckles.

"Only trouble I get in is the trouble this one causes." Bobby laughs.

"I believe it." He hugs Maizie and kisses her cheek.

"Nice to see ye again, Mrs. McKenzie." She waves a hand.

"Please, call me Mum. I feel old when you call me Mrs. McKenzie." Bobby looks at her and puts his hand to his chest, gasping dramatically.

"Ye loved it twenty years ago. Ye loved being called Mrs. McKenzie." She smiles at him, making his heart thump wildly.

"That was when I was a hot twenty-five year old." He pulls her into his arms.

"Now yer a hot forty something, but ye still look twenty-five to me." She blushes and scrunches her nose.

"You're such a melt."

"Only cause ye made me one. Remember I wasn't like this until ye came along." She wraps her arms around his neck.

"True." He leans down and kisses her softly. Sophia coughs.

"Guys, I'm right here. I don't wanna see my parents snog." Bobby pulls away and chuckles at her.

"Ye can look elsewhere, love. The whole family is here." She rolls her eyes and smiles. She takes Jameson's hand.

"Come on, babe. Let's go say hi to everyone else and let these two go back to snogging." Maizie giggles and waves at them as they walk away. Bobby watches her look after Sophia, sadness reaching her eyes. He gently coaxes her chin up to look at him.

"What's wrong, lass?" She looks at him a moment.

"Time is going by so fast. She's so grown up now. One day she's the scared little fire haired lass that's smarter than Albert Einstein and now she's a grown woman...who's smarter than Albert Einstein. All the kids are so grown up. It seems like just yesterday everyone was so tiny, running around. And now they're all going off to school and having boyfriends and girlfriends." She sniffles. He smiles and rubs the spot her dimples go gently.

"I know. But at least we got all that time with them. We almost didn't. It goes by very fast but the next step is grandkids. That's when we can spoil the shit out of them and send them back home like yer mum used to do." She laughs at that and wipes her eyes.

"True. I'm definitely going to spoil those kids." He smiles and leans down, kissing her again. Their love not once faltered in all these years, they were still madly in love. He breaks their kiss and hugs her tightly. Someone coughs and they look over and see Jameson. Bobby smiles.

"Where's Sophia?"

"She's talking to Auntie Lottie and Auntie Priya. I was hoping I could have a word with ye, sir." Maizie kisses his cheek.

"I'll let you two chat and go talk to Gary and Noah." He smiles at her and squeezes her hand as she walks away. He forgets why she was leaving in the first place as he sees her cross the yard over to Noah and Gary. Jameson sighs.

"That's what I want." He snaps Bobby out of his thoughts. He looks at him and clears his throat.

"What? What is it ye want?" He motions towards Maizie.

"What ye have with Mrs. McKenzie. The way ye still look at each other after twenty years. That's something ye only read about ye both are still so in love. That's what I want." Bobby smiles at him.

"It didn't come easy. We went through a whole lot to get where we are now. It took a lot of sacrifice and compromise. It took us choosing to love each other every single day no matter what happened. Do ye feel like that with Sophia?" He smiles to himself.

"I really love her. She's so full of life and she's so sweet and gentle but at the same time she's strong and-"

"Fierce. Don't think ye can fool her or hurt her cause she fights back with everything she has. She refuses to be knocked down."

"Exactly!"

"She got that from Maizie. That's exactly how Maizie is."

"I love that about her. I love everything about her."

"That's good and that's exactly what I want to hear." 

"I was hoping I could get yer blessing."

"My blessing?"

"I want to ask Sophia to marry me. And I would like yer blessing to do so. I hope I get it but regardless I'm going to. I just want to see if ye think I'm good enough fer her cause lord knows I don't think so. But I love her with all my heart and want to spend my life with her. We have the same goals and ambitions. We have the same morals and values. I love everything about her and I want to spend every second I can with her." Bobby smiles at him and thinks a moment. 

"I would love it if ye became part of our family. But to fully get my blessing there's some things we need to talk about. First thing's first, we need to get Noah and Gary over here. Ye need their blessing too. Our family is closer than most." He waves Noah and Gary over. Gary pats Bobby's shoulder.

"What's going on, Bobbo?"

"This lad wants our blessing to ask Sophia to marry him." Noah and Gary cross their arms and look at Jameson suspiciously. Gary rubs his beard.

"I don't know. What makes you think you deserve her?"

"If I'm honest, I probably don't. I'm no where near worthy enough fer her. She's absolutely amazing in every way." Noah smiles.

"You passed the first one. Second question, what's your plans for the future?"

"To spend everyday I have with her trying to make her happy. I want to become the man she deserves." Bobby nods and shrugs.

"Alright, that's good. What about when ye fight? Cause ye will since Maizie is her mum. I'm afraid she got her stubbornness." He chuckles.

"I noticed that early on. But when we do fight I still tell her I love her before bed. And I still treat her like I would if we weren't fighting. If she asks fer space I give it to her and if she wants to talk about it I do. I try not to say anything out of anger. If I'm too angry I let her know where I'm going and cool off." Gary nods.

"Good answer. I want you to realize how much she means to us. You hurt her, you hurt us. And if you hurt us, we don't take it well. Women like her are hard to find and we've worked really hard to raise her to be strong and independent and we won't let you crush it." Noah nods.

"Exactly. She's exactly who we hoped she would be, and we want it to stay that way. You can't drown her out and push her aside. You have to treat her like a queen everyday." 

"That's exactly it. Ye have to treat yer marriage like a flower. If ye water it, it'll bloom. If ye don't, it'll wilt. Ye water it by taking care of her and supporting her. By loving her even when it's hard. One day ye may realize yer not head over heels in love with her but ye do love her. Ye have to choose to love her every single day. I won't lie, sometimes it's hard. Trust me. But it's worth every struggle when it's the right person."

"Absolutely, sir. I completely understand. I promise I won't hurt her. I promise to choose her everyday." Gary, Noah and Bobby exchange looks.

"Then ye have my blessing. Which means ye stop calling me 'sir' cause I hate that shit. It's Bobby or Dad...but not Daddy." Jameson and the other two laugh.

"Thanks, Bobby. I'll wait on the dad part until I know if she says yes or not." 

"Either way yer welcome here so don't hesitate to stop by any time." 

"Thank ye. I promise I will. Now excuse me there's something I need to go ask Sophia."

"Okay. Wait fer me to go stand with Maizie cause she's gonna burst into tears." He laughs.

"I will." Bobby pats his arm and walks up behind Maizie and wraps his arms around her waist.

"Hello, gorgeous. I happened to notice yer fine ass from over there and just had to come say hi." She laughs and looks up at him.

"You're so cheesy." He kisses her cheek.

"That's why ye love me though." Jameson walks over and takes Sophia's hand. Bobby turns around so they're facing them and puts his arm around Maizie's shoulder. Jameson pulls her into the middle of the crowd, Gary and Noah whispered in Lottie and Ainsley's ears. They both break into smiles and look at Bobby. He signs them to keep it a secret when Maizie wasn't looking. Jameson clears his throat.

"Sophia, I wanted to tell ye how much I love ye. The day ye came into my life is the day my life get so much better than I thought it could. Ye've taught me so much and ye've show me there's beauty in everything. Yer absolutely incredible in every way and I think yer the most gorgeous woman in the whole world and I'm so glad ye chose me." She smiles at him. He gets on one knee and pulls out a ring box. Maizie gasps and puts a hand to her mouth, her eyes watering. Sophia does the same thing. "Sophia McKenzie, would ye do me the honor of becoming my wife?" She nods through her tears.

"Absolutely, yes! Of course!" He smiles at her and puts the ring on her finger. She puts her hands on his face and kisses him as he stands up. Everyone claps and cheers. Maizie is already sobbing into Bobby's shoulder. He smiles and holds her close. After a second she stops and pulls away. Sophia runs up to her smiling.

"Mum, Dad! I'm getting married!" Maizie looks at the ring and smiles. She hugs her tightly.

"I'm so happy for you! Jameson is absolutely lovely, he's a good choice." Sophia looks up at Bobby and looks into his eyes. He felt his emotions trying to break through. He pulls her in and hugs her tightly. She sniffles as she holds him, a tear escapes from his eye. They didn't have to say anything, they knew what they wanted to say without talking. It was one of their super powers they had. She pulls away and looks into his eyes. He wipes away one of her tears and kisses her forehead.

"It's okay, love. Had to happen sometime, right? I can't keep yer heart to myself ferever." She nods and smiles. Priya and Chelsea drag her away to talk to her about their wedding. Bobby puts a hand around Maizie's. She looks at him sadly. He smiles and kisses her hand. "Let's go fer a quick walk, lass. Sophia's busy talking wedding stuff with Chelsea and Priya." She smiles and nods. He leads her out of the gate to the field in the back. He puts an arm around her shoulders and she leans into him, her arm around his waist. They walk slowly, not saying anything for a while.

"She's getting married, Bobby. Our little girl is growing up." He sighs.

"Aye, she is. She's not a little girl anymore. She's a strong woman just like her mum." She smiles and sniffles.

"I just can't believe how grown up she is now. Do you think he'll treat her good? Do you think they'll have a good marriage? Do you think they'll be okay, that she'll be okay?"

"Yes. I think he's a good man and will treat her right. I mean he knows he not only has me to answer to but Noah and Gary too. They made sure he knew that. But I think he'll be a good husband and that they'll have a good marriage. I told him it isn't always going to be easy, but with the right person it's worth every second." She looks up at him and looks into his eyes.

"Look at you being all wise and shit." He laughs.

"Hey, I can be very wisdomess."

"I don't think that's a word."

"It is now." He smiles and kisses her cheek. "We've got to let her go, lass. It's time. She's grown up now and we can't take care of her ferever. We'll always love her and support her but it's time she does her own thing. No matter where it takes her or who it takes her with she knows she can always come back home. We did good with her, she has a strong head on her shoulders. She knows no one decides her worth and that she can be happy completely alone. We need to trust her now." She sniffles.

"But I'm not ready to let her go. I love her so much."

"I know, so do I. Rather we're ready or not it's happening. And she'll need us there to support her through this. But just because we let her go and take control of her whole life doesn't mean we don't love her. We'll always have her back and she knows that. She knows she can turn to any of us. We've built quite the family." She nods and sighs.

"You're right. I know you're right, but it doesn't mean it doesn't hurt."

"Of course it's gonna hurt. Fer the last twenty-one years we've raised her. She's our only daughter. But she's just like ye in every possible way and that means she's gonna make it. Ye came from a broken family and childhood and still made it. She was raised showered in love and taught from early on how to be strong and confident, so she already has a much better chance going off on her own. She won't have an x amount of years until she figures it out like it did fer ye. She's known all along. We've prepared her fer this. She's ready." She stops and takes his hands.

"Bobby, I'm scared. What if her hurts her? What if he turns out to be like Alex?" 

"We can't decide that. But we have to trust we taught her enough to know what she shouldn't take. And hopefully she hits him back if he lays a hand on her. And she'll always have us to come home to. She won't be stuck like ye were, she'll have options. But we can't know fer sure what the future looks like fer anyone. All we know is we did what we could and we'll stand right behind her so if she falls we catch her. It's okay to be scared, lass. I am too. I've been the number one man in her life that she's loved the most and now I have to share her heart with another man who hopefully can take care of her the way she deserves." She wraps her arms around his neck and leans his forehead against hers. She closes her eyes, silent tears appearing down her cheeks. She takes a deep breath.

"I hope you're right." He smiles.

"I'm always right." She raises an eyebrow and swats his arm, making him laugh. "I'm kidding. But I do think I'm right this time. This is the rare occasion that I actually am." She sighs and hugs him tightly. He holds her for a few minutes before she pulls back a little and looks at him. The sun was setting, giving everything a soft warm glow. Her skin glowed a beautiful bronze color, her vibrant green eyes popped against her soft skin, her freckles sprinkled across her face, her lips perfectly shaped into one of her dazzling smiles. It reminded him of the morning she kissed him the first time all those years ago. He tucked a curl behind her ear, running his thumb softly across her cheek before resting his hand against it. He leans in slowly and kisses her softly. She sighs and leans into him, deepening the kiss. He runs his hand from her cheek to her hair, his other arm wrapping around her waist. He gently bites her lip, making her moan softly.

"Bobby, not here. Save it for later." He chuckles.

"Fine but I'm not done snogging ye yet." He kisses her again, the taste of her sweet kiss lingering on his lips. The smell of her coconut hair crème hitting him gently in the breeze. He pulls back and looks into her eyes again. "I love ye, Maizie. More than I did the day I met ye." She smiles.

"I'm yours and you're mine, right?"

"Fer the rest of our lives." She hugs him again, they stand there a while just holding each other. He sighs and takes her hand. "Let's head back, lass." She holds onto his hand tightly, her other hand on his bicep as she leans against him. Ben greets them as they walk back into the backyard.

"Mum! Dad!" He hugs them both. Bobby smiles at him.

"Where ye been, son? I thought ye were coming with Cindy." He shrugs.

"I got off work late. But I'm here now." Bobby puts an arm around him, kissing Maizie's cheek before he walks over to the other lads. Ben spends the evening next to Bobby and the others. They even had a da joke battle, which was pretty normal during family gatherings. Ben looked so much like him. He had his skin tone, his nose, his lips. He had Maizie's dark brown, curly hair and eyes. The freckles could be either of theirs. He had Bobby's sense of humor and Maizie's strong soul. He had her kind heart and his contagious smile. He dressed like Bobby too with all his colorful button up shirts and khaki pants and cargo shorts. By night fall everyone was full and happy. He loved every time they spent time together as a big family. He adored his make shift family more than anything. Bobby looked at one of his favorite pictures on the wall. It showed all of the Islanders, Dean, Louis, Oliver, Ainsley and Ben and Sophia when they were kids. It was the day they brought Ben home. It was by far his most favorite picture to represent their lives together. Ben took it to show and tell when he was little, proudly showing off his family. His teacher said he talked about them for ten minutes before she got him to sit down. Noah came up next to him and sighs as he looked at the picture.

"That was so long ago yet it feels like yesterday. I can't believe we've been mates for so long." Bobby chuckles and looks at him.

"Aye. We've spent a life time together. We've raised our families together. And now they're starting to go their separate ways. Sophia is getting married and Ben is going to be moving to America soon to live with Dean, Louis and the twins Savannah and Josh." He swallowed the lump in his throat. Noah puts an arm around him and sighs.

"We did good, Bobby. They're just like their parents. Kind, genuine, strong, fierce, funny, smart, clever. They're exactly what every parent hopes for. You did good, Bobby. It's time to let them go and take their own paths. They know we'll always have their backs." He sniffles and nods.

"Aye. That they do. I don't think we'd have made it this far without any of ye." Noah smiles at him.

"Same here, man." They give each other a strong but brief hug. Gary calls over to them.

"Oi! Don't leave me out!" They laugh and open their arms for Gary and he runs over. They have a small group hug before pulling apart and clearing their throats. Gary flexes his arms. "Right, let's go men." Bobby laughs and gently pushes Bobby. Chelsea sighs and looks around.

"I think it's time for a repeat of one of those group pictures." She winks at Bobby. Bobby and Maizie sit in the middle of the couch. Sophia sat on Maizie's side with Jameson next to her. Ben next to Bobby with Cindy next to him, who happened to be his best friend. There was so many people to fit into the picture now they had to zoom the camera out so they could fit everyone. They took on serious and one silly, like they always did. They hung that picture on the wall next to the one they took twenty years prior. Bobby and Maizie spent another twenty glorious years together. Bobby's family alone had six grand kids. The entire group ended up with twenty-three grandkids. Maizie passed away at the age of 86 from natural causes of old age. Bobby passed away two weeks later. Sophia and Ben believed it was of a broken heart. He went to be with his Maizie, his lass. When his time came he went into his final sleep and when he woke up he was 25 again. He looked around and was in his room that he shared with Maizie. When he walked into the living room he saw someone on the back porch. He went out there and was greeted by her brilliant green eyes staring at him with her dazzling smile. She looked like she did the day they met. She held out her hand and he took it. A little boy who looked about 5 peeked out from behind her legs. He looked just like Bobby in every way except he had her eyes. He smiled and ran up to Bobby, hugging his leg. His mum and dad walked out from behind her too. He felt so much peace in that moment. He hated leaving Ben and Sophia behind but it was his time. It was time to move on to the next life. His forever life with Maizie by his side. One by one being joined by the rest of the Islanders, all looking back to the ages they were when they met, because that was the day the rest of their lives had began and their futures changed. Their stories were passed down from generation to generation, all teaching everyone how love can heal any broken soul. 


End file.
